


Duality

by kimurasato



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-04-10
Packaged: 2018-01-18 19:39:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 51,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1440355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimurasato/pseuds/kimurasato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new ghost arrives in Amity Park, and its attack has a costly effect on Danny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this story was written back in 2005 under the title of "Between Forms." But after being asked if I would write an epilogue for it, I looked back over the story and realized how rushed it all felt, so I basically went and rewrote mostly the whole thing to flesh it all out and make it flow better.

The ball was in his possession. Somehow he managed to knock it free from the player on the other team. Danny pivoted around to start down the court when he slammed into a larger body. It felt more like the other person bulldozed right into him. His back hit the floor as the other person's weight fell on top of him. The ball broke free of his hold, bouncing away on the hard wood floor to be scooped up by another player on one of the two teams.

"Fenton." The growl came right by his ear, and Danny swallowed as he realized with whom he collided. He didn't need to turn his head to know the angry glare upon Dash's face. He could practically feel the heat of it on his cheek. A thigh wedged itself between his legs, and Danny tried desperately not to recall the last time they were in a similar situation, even though that was four years ago and under very different circumstances. He refused to acknowledge the rather compromising position they were currently in or the fact that Dash still wasn't moving off him. Dash's weight held him pinned to the floor, and their bodies were fairly well flushed against each other.

"I had the ball," Danny grumbled, keeping his gaze directed toward the ceiling. It was very difficult pretending that he wasn't currently under Dash. Why they got stuck on the same team was the question that kept circling in his head. He could have ended up on one of the other teams, but the fates decided to amuse themselves and stick them with the one person he tried to avoid since freshmen year.

"Whatever." Dash didn't bother throwing any insults as he climbed off Danny. He jogged down the court to catch up with the rest the players.

Danny was much slower to get to his feet. They were going all out against the other team, and Danny was starting to feel the effort catch up to him. His clothes clung to his sweat drenched body, and his breathing was labored. Dash didn't seem to be having any trouble keeping up with the game, and that stirred up a little anger in Danny. But it was no surprise. Dash was the star football, after all. Four years running, and no one stole the title from him.

The game continued with Danny struggling to keep up with the bigger and faster players. Some days, he hated gym class more than usual. Danny lunged for the ball, snatching it away from the dribbling player. He headed down the court as he watched for an open player on his team. Dash reached the other end of the court before anyone else.

"Dash!" Danny called out as he made to pass the ball. Someone else rammed into his back, and his throw went off course. He watched Dash turn in time to catch the ball right in his face. The other team caught the loose ball, and everyone raced for the other end of the court. "Are you okay?" Danny asked, closing the distance between them.

Dash glared as he rubbed his head. "You really do suck at sports, you know."

Tetslaff blew the whistle. "Class dismissed," she barked out, to the relief of many students. "Baxter, Fenton! You're on clean up. Round up the balls and put them away in the storage room."

Dash shot another glare at Danny before he stomped off to grab some of the basketballs. Danny wiped at the sweat on his forehead, happy that the class was finally over. He gathered up as many of the basketballs that he could carry then followed Dash toward the storage room.

"I didn't mean to hit you," Danny said as they dumped the basketballs into the bin where they were stored. "Someone on the other team hit me. And-" He stopped when Dash glared at him. "I'm sorry."

"It's a good thing you never tried out for any sports." Dash stood over him, and Danny suffered flashbacks to freshmen year. He cringed back, waiting for Dash to throw his first punch. But it surprisingly never came.

A creak caught both their attentions, and their heads snapped toward the door. At the same time, they rushed toward it, but neither was fast enough to stop the door from closing. Dash pushed on the door then tried ramming his shoulder into it, but the door refused to budge. They were locked in the storage room.

"Bad luck just follows you around, doesn't it?" Dash shot a dark glare at him.

"Sometimes I wonder," Danny mumbled as he walked to the back wall and leaned against it. He couldn't blame this on ghosts. He slid down to the floor and drew his legs up against his chest. Why couldn't he get locked in the room with Sam or Tucker? At least then he could use his ghost powers to get them out of it. But Dash? He couldn't use his ghost powers with Dash present. Dash would probably run off to tell everyone his secret immediately afterward. Danny already felt lucky that Dash wasn't smart enough to figure it out after that incident in freshmen year when Dash was his fitness buddy. He came uncomfortably close to being discovered when his powers started fading after being shrunk.

But remembering the whole shrinking incident reminded him of the déjà vu that happened earlier during the basketball game. Back then Dash fell on top of him, too, when Danny protected him from getting blown up by Skulker's missiles. At that time, he didn't have much time to think about the position they landed in because he had Skulker to worry about. It wasn't until later that he started having thoughts about it. Bad thoughts. Thoughts he tried to forget about over the next three years. Thoughts that he never even told Tucker and Sam about. Thoughts which involved a similar situation except without Skulker around to disturb things from going a very different way. Now he was stuck in a confined room with Dash, and the thoughts kept sneaking back into his head.

“The basketball coach will have to stop by before practice.” Dash gave up on the door, realizing it was hopeless to continue trying to force his way through it. The door refused to budge despite his best efforts. Walking to the back wall, he joined Danny on the floor. “Too bad there’s no window in here.”

“Yeah.” Danny shifted awkwardly as he looked around the room. The only exit was the door, which of course had to be one of those stupid kinds that locked immediately upon shutting. He cursed whoever thought it was a brilliant plan to use that kind of door for the sports equipment storage room. He inched away from the jock until Dash's glare shot toward him again. Danny smiled with nervousness and decided to stay where he was lest he incur Dash's wrath. Luck already blessed him once when Dash didn't punch him earlier. He didn't think it best to test his luck any further.

“Why did I have to get stuck in here with you?” Dash kept his gaze on the door like he could will it to open if he concentrated hard enough.

“Sorry,” Danny muttered, his voice thick with sarcasm. With his knees hugged to his chest, he looked away. _If only I could use my ghost powers in front of him, we could get out of here_ , Danny thought, almost wishing he could use them simply so he could get away from Dash. The storage room provided little warmth, and it didn't help that he was still in his gym clothes, a thin shirt and shorts, which were covered with sweat. He shivered and hugged his knees closer.

“What’s wrong with you? Cold?” Dash snorted at Danny’s show of weakness.

“Of course I’m cold! This room is freezing!” Danny snapped as he pinned a glare on the jock. He bit his tongue when he remembered to whom he was talking. Shrinking away from Dash, Danny waited for the jock to lash out at him for talking back like that.

“Loser.” Dash snorted again as he turned his gaze away.

Danny grumbled to himself as he rested his chin on his knees. This was probably one of the worst situations he could have got into, and usually his bad situations involved ghosts. A moment of silence passed when he felt Dash press against his side. Danny’s head shot up, and he stared at Dash with wide eyes.

“What?” Dash demanded heatedly. “You said you were cold. There’s nothing else in here but sports equipment, so the only way to stay warm is with body heat.”

“Are you cold too?” Danny tired to suppress his shock and discomfort. The memory of Dash laying on top of him danced through his mind, and Danny shifted under Dash's arm. Really not the best situation for him right now. As cold as he was, he wanted to put distance between him and Dash.

“Shut up, loser.” Dash looked away with a quick jerk of his head.

Danny smirked at that, resting his head on his knees again. Dash was being too "macho" to admit that he was cold too. But it wasn't surprising since Dash was coated in as much sweat as Danny was and also wore the same thin clothing of their gym uniforms. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to will away thoughts of how little clothing separated them and of the warmth the spread through him where their bodies touched. Why did he have to start having thoughts like this about Dash of all people?

Time passed at a snail’s pace in the silence of the storage room. Every now and then, one of them would shift a little closer to the other seeking warmth. Danny kept his face buried in his knees, his cheeks flushing with the feel of Dash's body pressing against him. He didn't want the thoughts that slipped into his head. An hour passed before the basketball coach finally came. As soon as they heard the door start to open, they leaped away from each other. The coach stared in confusion as the two men raced past him out of the storage room. Neither of them wanted to spend one moment longer in there. Once they were out of sight of the coach, Dash grabbed Danny’s shirt and drew him close.

“No one ever hears about what just happened,” Dash threatened in a whisper.

“Right, of course.” Danny nodded in agreement as his heart hammered in his chest. “What happens behind a locked door stays behind a locked door.”

Dash shoved Danny away and walked down the hall way. Danny stared after him in wonderment. He expected Dash to beat him to a bloody pulp or something else to ensure his silence. A frown crossed his face as confused thoughts raced through his mind. He almost thought he saw a faint trace of pink on Dash's cheeks, but surely that was only his imagination. Shrugging it off, he headed to the boys’ locker room to change back into his normal clothes.


	2. Chapter 2

Dash stomped down the hallway as a foul mood settled over him. Getting locked in the storage room with Fenton was the last thing he expected to have happen to him. Back in freshmen year, he might have actually pounded the poor man into the ground for something like that happening, even if it wasn't Fenton's fault. Back then, it never mattered if it was Fenton's fault. Dash blamed him for everything.

But now? He felt differently toward the other man. He wasn't sure when it started. Maybe back when Fenton led the charge to rescue their parents. But the biggest effect in his change of attitude probably occurred when he acted as Fenton's fitness buddy. He couldn't remember exactly how it happened, but he remembered wishing they could stay that way a little longer with Fenton fitting so perfectly under him, like what happened only an hour ago during the game in gym. How could he have thoughts like that toward Fenton?

He was glad the coach came when he did to let them out of the storage room. Things became increasingly uncomfortable in there with Fenton's body pressing against him and the heat washing over him. The temptation to press Fenton up against the wall and taste the man at long last was almost overwhelming. He dated, _a lot_ , during his high school years, but since freshmen year, he secretly pined for Fenton. It was an impossible dream. Fenton would never have feelings for him, not after the hell Dash gave him that first year.

"Look at those legs." A low whistle followed the comment.

Dash snapped his head up and glared at his friend. The hallways were empty now, the rest of the student body leaving school immediately after their final classes. But Kwan remained for the simple reason that he had no car and usually got a ride home with Dash. He could have always taken the bus home, but Kwan never seemed to mind the wait.

"Shut up," Dash growled, but the comment reminded him that he still wore his gym clothes. He should have returned to the locker room to get changed, but his mind was filled with other thoughts, and he wound up walking toward his locker.

"What happened? You're pretty late." Kwan grabbed his bag off the floor and followed after Dash, who turned around to head back to the boys locker room.

"Got held up doing clean up after gym." Dash glared when Kwan nudged him in the side with his elbow. "What?"

"Come on. There's more to that story." Kwan rolled his eyes when Dash only continued to glare at him. "You clean up after gym. Okay. That's about five minutes. Then you forget to go change? And you don't show until an hour later? What _really_ happened?"

"You're so annoying sometimes," Dash grumbled as he yanked open the door to the locker room. He walked down the rows until he reached the one where his things were stored and froze. Kwan bumped into him and started to ask something when Dash shoved him back into another row of lockers.

"What's up?" Kwan asked, speaking quietly as he gave Dash a confused look.

Dash knew his cheeks were red. He could see the amusement of his embarrassment behind the confusion in Kwan's eyes. When he turned down the other row, Dash received a fairly good glimpse of Fenton's body before the man yanked up his boxers and pants. In a moment, Fenton passed the row they were hiding in, and when his eyes met briefly with Dash's eyes, he turned away quickly and hurried out of the locker room.

"Oh, I see," Kwan said once they heard the door close behind the man. A smirk stretched wide as amusement danced in his eyes. "That's what the problem is."

"I also hate you sometimes." Dash walked around to the other row and opened the locker that stored his things during class. Kwan noticed his feelings for Fenton before Dash could even admit them to himself. It was a constant source of teasing for the man ever since freshmen year. Dash knew Kwan was only trying to make light of the situation, but sometimes he really didn't want to hear it from the other man. He yanked out his regular clothes and quickly changed.

"So are you going to tell me what happened? Or should I start guessing?" Kwan leaned against the next locker as he waited for his friend to finish.

Dash sighed. Once he start prodding for information, Kwan rarely let up until he got what he wanted. It was one of his more annoying qualities. Dash never worried about Kwan going around spreading his secrets, and that was one of his best qualities. Kwan would take a secret to the grave. "Fenton and I were assigned clean up together." Dash bent over to tie his shoes. "We were in the storage room when the door shut. And you know, it stupidly locks us in there." He looked up and caught the leer on Kwan's face and scowled. "Nothing happened."

"But you wanted something to happen."

Heat rose to his cheeks, and Dash quickly ducked his head again to focus on tying his other shoe. "Nothing is ever going to happen with Fenton. In case you missed, he's totally got a thing for that stupid Goth chick that's always glued to his side." He winced when he pulled his laces a little too tightly. Every time he saw Manson hanging around Fenton, he felt the urge to punch something. She clearly cared a lot about him, and Fenton seemed to return those feelings, though they never dated from what he could tell. People teased them about it, spread rumors about them, but they never once went out on a date together.

"Nothing is going to happen because you're being too chicken to make it happen." Kwan folded his arms across his chest. "Do you really care if the school knows you're into guys?"

Dash wasn't completely straight. He still felt attracted toward women. "Please. Like there aren't rumors about us going around school." They both knew that was true, and it didn't surprise either of them. They were close friends and hung out together all the time. It was the same as with Fenton and Manson where people simply assumed they were a couple without any evidence to support it.

"I remember when Paulina heard that rumor." Kwan laughed. "She was horrified at the thought that she was dating a guy who was dating another guy behind her back."

Dash chuckled at the memory of that, but he didn't enjoy the argument that followed with her. She spent a week refusing to believe that he wasn't seeing Kwan on the side. "Whether the school knows about my sexuality or not isn't what matters." He grabbed his bag out of the locker and slammed it shut. "What good does it do me when Fenton isn't going to feel the same?" He walked toward the door with Kwan following after him. "It's pointless to even entertain the thought."

"Oh, I'm sure you entertain the thought plenty." Kwan grinned widely, jumping aside to avoid behind shoved. He was usually the only one that could get away with teasing Dash like this. "Well, if you're not going to do anything about your feelings after three years of pining, maybe," he shrugged, "it's time you think about finding someone, you know. It's been a while since you've gone on a date. Don't use Fenton as an excuse not to find someone."

Dash knew that was a reasonable suggestion. Why was he wasting his time thinking about Fenton when that relationship would never go anywhere? It would be wiser to look for someone that he could actually have a relationship with. "You know," Dash's gaze slid back over to his friend, "we spend a lot of time talking about my romance problems. You're pretty tight lipped about your problems. I don't see _you_ dating anyone."

"That's because there isn't anything to talk about with me." Kwan shrugged as they left the school.

"Oh, come on! That has to be a lie." Dash led the way to his car. She was a beautiful black convertible, and with the warm weather they were having, he liked driving with the top down. He dumped his book bag into the back seat as he climbed into the driver's seat. "You're going to try to tell me there's _no one_ you like?"

Kwan slid into the passenger's seat. "I've dated just as many people as you have," he pointed out, only seeming slightly annoyed with the question. "And honestly, there isn't anyone at our school that I'm interested in." He leaned an arm on the car door and stared at the scenery as Dash pulled out of the parking lot. "Every date so far has been a disaster. And the girls," he groaned. "They were so annoying to listen too, chatting the whole time about something stupid. I've never been so bored in my life except when I was on that date with Star."

"Sometimes I worry about you, man." Dash frowned as he glanced at his friend. "How can you not like anyone?"

Kwan laughed and shook his head. "Dude, we're only eighteen. Do you really think I'm going find my true love right now? Maybe the person for me is in a completely different city. No point in stressing over it. I'll find someone when I find someone."

"If you say so." Dash focused on driving toward Kwan's house. When he talked like that, Kwan didn't sound like a normal teenager. "Why you gotta bring up true love? Do you actually believe in that?"

Kwan shrugged. "It'd be nice to think there's someone out there just for me. But who knows?"

Dash frowned as he though on that topic. True love? A soul mate out there just for him? "What if Fenton is mine?" He didn't mean to actually say that out loud. When he glanced over, he caught the wide grin on Kwan's face. "Oh, shut up," he grumbled and reached over to punch him in the arm.

"Dash," Kwan still grinned as he rubbed his arm, "let's think about this for a moment. If Fenton is your one true love, wouldn't it be smart to at least ask him out once? You're missing your opportunity. Graduation is only a few months away. After that? You might never see him again."

"You talk too much."

"And you're a bit ridiculous. You passed up an excellent opportunity to express yourself to him. You had him locked in a room away from prying eyes where no one would here you. And what did you do? Nothing."

Dash pulled the car to a stop outside Kwan's house. "If you're going talk circles about this, I'm going home and we can skip the study session."

"Okay. I get it. Consider the subject dropped." Kwan grabbed his bag from the back seat. "I really need help on that history report."

Dash rolled his eyes as he grabbed his bag. Then he followed Kwan toward his house. Maybe focusing his mind on his homework would keep him distracted from thoughts about Fenton.


	3. Chapter 3

"Did you finish your homework?"

Danny gritted his teeth at the question. "I'll do it when I finish my patrol. I'm kind of busy at the moment." Homework was the last thing he wanted to think about when there was a ghost on the run ahead of him. He found the ghost earlier, and after a short scuffle, the ghost took off, turning the fight into a game of tag. Why couldn't fighting ghosts be easy? If he could catch ghosts faster, then he would have more time to actually _do_ his homework.

"Danny, I know fighting ghosts is important," Sam said, though he could hear the tiredness in her voice, "but so is getting your homework done. What happens when you fail your classes? You won't be able to graduate with the rest of us. Maybe you should let Tucker and me do the patrolling for a while so you can focus on school."

"No, you both have a ton of homework too." Danny fired an energy ball at the ghost, and his frustration grew when the ghost weaved and dodged his attacks. "Anyway, we all know it'll take a miracle for me to graduate. Even if I do, where am I going to go? The local community college?"

At the beginning of the year, his parents made him sending out dozens of applications to colleges, as pointless as he thought it was. Every single college, unsurprisingly, sent him a rejection letter. He knew his grades were beyond abysmal. How could he ever hope to get good grades with ghosts attacking almost every night of the week? He was so tired that he kept falling asleep in classes, and when he tried to do his homework, he felt hopelessly lost.

_Maybe after this ghost, I should stop patrolling for a while_ , Danny thought miserably as he tried to catch up with the ghost. He didn't have any hope of getting into a good college. There was only that one community college in their town, and with the Fenton Portal here, Danny didn't think it wise to leave town. Not with the way ghosts popped up with too much frequency. But maybe he could at least get enough passing grades to let him graduate. He could hope, at least.

"Don't talk like that, Danny. You should join Tucker and me for study nights."

"Can we put this conversation on hold? I kind of have a ghost thing to deal with." Danny reached up and pulled the Fenton Phone from his ear before Sam could respond. He really hated when Sam started in on the whole homework and college thing. She was going to an university in Massachusetts, and Tucker got into a college in Pennsylvania. Danny was pretty sure that he was the only one in their class that didn't get in anywhere, and probably wouldn't even graduate. Every time it came up, Danny only felt more miserable.

His parents were already severely disappointed in him. Fentons were supposed to be smart. His father managed straight B minuses. His mother was a genius. Jazz graduated with the highest marks in Casper High history. It was still a miracle that he didn't flunk out already. He would be lucky if he could even get a job at the Nasty Burger.

"All right, jerk," Danny shouted, wanting nothing more to capture this ghost and head home. "Enough of this running around!" He held his hands out before him and concentrated. A pane of solid green energy appeared, and the ghost slammed into it. Danny smirked as the ghost rubbed at his face.

"You think that will be enough to stop me?" The ghost turned around, a cruel grin twisting upon his face.

He had an irritating regal air about him and a snooty look in his red eyes. His long black hair was tied back in a low ponytail, all neat and tidy without a single hair out of place. He dressed in a fancy suit that reminded Danny a little too much of the suits that Vlad wore when he wasn't masquerading around as Plasmius. But his suit looked a bit more old fashion. Strange little green wings flapped at his back, but being a ghost, he clearly didn't need them to remain afloat. So far, the ghost only displayed basic skills like energy balls and invisibility and shields, yet he managed to escape Danny.

"You really don't know who you're messing with."

"A stuffy faced snob comes to mind," Danny said, not caring if he offended the ghost. He had a curfew to stick to, and he would be cutting it close if he didn't capture this ghost and hurry home soon. "Let's cut the witty banter and get right down to business. I still have a report for Lancer's class to start." Unfortunately, he never got the time to get around to it. He didn't even finish the book that he was supposed to read. _Great. And Lancer said if I didn't get it finished, I'd pretty much have no hope of passing his class_. Danny called up an energy ball and threw it at the ghost, relieving only a little of his anger.

The ghost held up a hand, and a small shield appeared to block the attacker. "I would have thought the famous Danny Phantom would be more of a challenge to fight. You're a sad disappointment." His mouth curved into a smirk. "In everything, aren't you?"

Danny ground his teeth and fired a steady stream of energy at the ghost, but a shield protected it from taking any damage. A head on attack wasn't working very well. "Don't act like you know anything about me." He didn't even recognize this ghost, but apparently the stories of Danny Phantom were spread wide through the Ghost Zone. After making a duplicate, he turned invisible, leaving the duplicate to keep the ghost's attention.

"Oh, I know plenty about you," the ghost said as he floated closer to the duplicate. His red eyes glowed, and his smirk grew wide. The duplicate erected a shield immediately, blocking the hand with sharp nails that thrust forward suddenly with the intent to pierce through him. "Poor Danny Phantom, such a disappointment to his family." His hand tried to force its way through the shield. "Always getting his friends caught up in his ghost problems. Never fitting in as a ghost, but fitting in even less as a human."

The duplicate sent out a surge of energy, blowing back the ghost. "You think I'm going to fall for that?" He snorted at the ghost, though it hit close to his true feelings about everything. "I already dealt with another ghost the feeds on the misery of teenagers. I fought her off. I can fight you off too."

The ghost laughed at him. "Oh, you think I'm simply trying to make you feel miserable so I can get stronger by feeding on negative energy?" Amusement flashed through his expression. "I'm strong enough not to have to rely on such pathetic schemes. I was just voicing exactly what you're feeling. Even you believe your pathetic existence is worthless. You can't even graduate. You'll never get a job. Your parents would be happier if you were never born. You're a complete failure. As a human and a ghost."

When the ghost fired his energy ball, it tore right through the duplicate. Danny recalled it, remaining invisible from the ghost's sight. That attack came faster than he expected. His duplicate didn't even have the time to react. If that was the real him, it would have resulted in a very painful injury.

"A duplicate. How clever." The ghost chuckled. "What's next? Attacking me from behind?" He spun around quickly, firing off an energy ball.

Danny dodged quickly, barely escaping the attack. He formed two duplicates this time. He still wasn't at the same level of Vlad, who could make at least five copies of himself now. It was a handy skill, but each duplicate only held a portion of his real strength, and his own strength was diminished as he poured his energy in them. The two duplicates turned visible, floating on either side of the ghost. They blasted at him with a stream of energy, but the ghost held out his hands, using them to form shields to block the attacks.

With a tsk, he shook his head. "How predictable." His shields faded out when the two duplicates stopped their combined attack.

Clearly, that idea didn't work very well. How was he supposed to stop this ghost when it predicted his every move? Danny almost wished they were still playing the game of tag as he chased after the ghost. This wasn't his first time coming up against a difficult ghost, and he managed to figure out a way to win those fights. He simply needed to think of a way to win this one.

His duplicates created ropes of energy then flung them at the ghost. Maybe he could tie the ghost up to limit his movements so that he could suck him into the Thermos. But the ghost caught each end of the rope and grinned like the move was totally expected. When he yanked on the ropes, the two duplicates flew toward each other. The ghost vanished right before the two duplicates slammed into each other, smashing into one being. Danny swallowed, almost wondering if the ghost was somehow reading his mind to know what he planned to do next.

"Really, it's amazing that you haven't been defeated yet." The ghost laughed as he reappeared above the jumbled mess that was the poorly merged duplicates.

They looked like what happened when Danny first started learning how to duplicate. Two heads stuck out of his body with each head facing a different direction. A third arm sprouted out of what would be the back of one of the duplicates. Four legs wiggled under them. When he spotted the ghost readying an energy ball, Danny drew the duplicates back to him.

"Staying invisible won't save you," the ghost said as he looked around, trying to find Danny's location. The red energy ball remained in his hands, prepared to be fired at any given moment.

_I hope this works_ , Danny thought as he concentrated. He floated up silently toward the ghost then took aim with both hands. The blast tore from his hands, nailing the ghost in the chest before he even realized the attack was coming. The force of the blast knocked Danny back several feet from the ghost. "Yes!" Danny released a small cheer when he saw that the ghost was encased in a layer of ice, frozen in midair. "I can definitely get used to that power." He grinned happily at his success.

Only a month ago, he discovered the ability. He was fighting with the Box Ghost, and when he fired a blast at the ghost, it made the Box Ghost freeze, literally. He was still learning to master it. Sometimes, when he tried to use it, it didn't work, but he was getting better at it.

Danny dropped the invisibility. With the ghost frozen, he didn't need to hide anymore. He reached for the Thermos, but his hand met with empty air. He patted his hands all over his body, like he might find it hidden in the most random of spots. The Thermos was gone. "Crap!" He smacked a white gloved hand to his forehead, cursing his bad luck. The Thermos must have fallen at some point during the fight or earlier when he was chasing the ghosts, and he never even noticed. "Idiot!"

While he mentally berated himself, Danny didn't pay attention to the ghost. The ice surrounding him cracked as Danny's focus turned elsewhere. It shattered away, freeing the ghost from the icy prison. When he noticed Danny lost in his own thoughts, the ghost grinned. He clapped his hands together then drew back his right hand. A beam of red energy bridged between his two hands. After taking aim, he released the energy, and the arrow soared through the air.

Danny noticed it too late. Before he could dodge it, the arrow pieced his chest. He bit back a scream as pain spread from that spot. Grabbing hold of the arrow's shaft, he tried to yank it free from his body. But the harder he tried to rip it out, the more it sank into his body. Danny watched in horror as arrow slowly disappeared. It hurt. His body hurt as the arrow passed into his chest. What was this? What was happening?

The ghost was laughing at his struggles. "You really are pathetic, Danny Phantom."

Danny snapped his gaze up to see the ghost readying a second arrow. He shifted to intangibility to allow the second arrow to phase right through him. But when he did, the first arrow vanished completely into his body. A scream ripped from his throat as he lost altitude. He tried desperately to fly, but his body plummeted toward the ground. His gut twisted uncomfortably at the freefall sensation. His heart pounded with a painful squeeze that made his chest hurt all the more after being shot with the arrow. His back slammed into a branch of a tree, and he was thankful that he was still in ghost form or the fall could have broken his back.

A second later, the familiar rings of light formed around his waist. _Crap! Not now!_ Danny thought in a panic as he reverted back to human and continued his fall through the tree. He hit the ground with a grunt, aching everywhere. But his chest still hurt the most. He tried to get up but dropped right back onto the ground. His body felt too heavy, and so did his eyelids as they drifted shut. He tried to sense the ghost, but he was quickly losing his consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Dash frowned, pressing the eraser on his pencil into his chin as he stared at the problems in the textbook. Math was giving him a headache, but at least he was almost finished with his homework. His golden Labrador named Bruno lay at his feet under the table, waiting for Dash to finish his work. His tail wagged lightly, occasionally whacking Dash in the leg. "I'm almost done," he said quietly as he turned his pencil over and erased the last answer he wrote.

Bruno jumped to his feet and walked over to the backdoor. He whined as he scratched at the door. Dash sighed as he leaned back in his chair at the kitchen table and stared at his dog. Bruno glanced back at him and barked, wearing that pleading look in his eyes.

"You can't wait five more minutes?" Dash gave up when Bruno barked again. "Okay. Okay." He dropped his pencil as he stood. When Bruno wanted out, Bruno got out. Dash walked over to the door and opened it. Bruno immediately darted out into the backyard, racing into the darkness.

Dash shook his head as he closed the door behind him. He walked farther into the backyard, watching his dog race toward the tall tree near the fence. His tail was wagging excitedly as he sniffed at the ground. Then he turned around and barked loudly. What had gotten into Bruno? Dash frowned as he walked over to where his dog still stood, barking like there was no tomorrow.

"Shh! Hey, Bruno! Quiet!" Dash ordered sharply. With the way his dog was barking, Bruno would wake up the whole neighborhood. Since it was already stretching on toward midnight, Dash didn't think that would be a good thing.

He grabbed Bruno's collar and started pulling him toward the backdoor. But something caught his attention. The collar slipped through his hold, and Bruno nudged at the prone figure on the ground at the foot of the tree. Dash bent down and turned the body over. His breath caught, and he snapped his hand back like he was burned. What was Fenton doing in his backyard? And more importantly, why was he passed out?

"What is that?" Dash mumbled as he reached down and ran his fingers through the dark locks of Fenton's hair. Even in the darkness, a few strands of white shone brightly, almost like they glowed. Perhaps he _did_ pay a little too much attention to Fenton, but Dash was fairly certain the man didn't have any white hairs. Now he counted at least eight strands the color of snow dotting through the raven locks.

Dash ran a hand through his hair. What exactly was going on here? He still had no answers. Fenton didn't have any reason to be in his backyard. When Fenton's brow furrowed, Dash almost shot away from the man. He was probably the last person Fenton want to see when he woke up after whatever happened to him happened. Eyelids fluttered open, a glimpse of brilliant blue glancing in his direction before they slipped closed again. The frown returned to Dash's face.

"Dash, sweetie," his mother called from the backdoor. "It's late."

"I know, Mom," Dash called back. "I'll be in a minute." He heard the door close as his mother went back inside the house. She would probably head straight up to bed along with his father. They always got up early in the morning to go to work. Dash turned his attention back to the problem at hand.

What was he supposed to do with Fenton? His parents would be pissed if he went driving around this late at night. He was supposed to already be in bed, if it wasn't for that math homework giving him trouble. Fenton didn't seem like he would be waking up any time soon either. Dash rested his chin in his hands. Fenton usually had a dopey expression on his face whenever he fell asleep in class. The thought made Dash's lips twitch in half a smile.

With a shake of his head, Dash made a decision. _Maybe a dumb decision_ , he thought as he lifted the man into his arms. Bruno danced about him as Dash carried Fenton toward his house. He would probably get in trouble for this as well, if his parents found out, but if Fenton stayed out cold until morning, it wouldn't be a problem. Once he was inside, Dash paused and listened. He didn't hear his parents moving around and took that as a good sign that they were in bed already.

Bruno rushed up the stairs ahead of him. With a roll of his eyes, Dash climbed the stairs then headed down the hallway toward his room. His parents' room was to the left of the staircase, and they always closed the door to their room once they turned in for the night. Dash was thankful for that as he turned right after reaching the top of the stairs. His room was at the end of the hallway. Bruno was already in the room, laying over the foot of the bed with his head in his paws. When Dash entered, Bruno gave a wag of his tail, his ears perking forward.

Dash laid Fenton in his bed, throwing the covers over the man. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?" he asked Bruno as he stood up straight with his hands on his hips. Bruno only wagged his tail happily. Dash dropped into the chair at his desk and stared at the man in his bed. "Under other circumstances, I would have loved this," he mumbled and shook his head. He never imagined that he would have Fenton in his bed. "Why you of all people, Fenton?"

Fenton rolled over in the bed, drawing the covers with him. He faced Dash now, and his eyes were half opened. Dash's heart leapt into his throat, and his breath choked. Did Fenton hear what he said? It wasn't a real confession but might bring up questions. But Fenton only stared at him with that half asleep look. His eyes had a strange glow to them. Dash got to his feet and crossed over to his bed. Fenton's eyes didn't move, almost like he wasn't actually seeing the jock. Crouching down, Dash leaned forward to get a better look. He swore he saw green mixing with the blue of Fenton's eyes.

It wasn't until Bruno barked that Dash realized how close he was leaning toward Fenton. His lips were only inches away from pressing against Fenton's mouth. With a slow blink, Fenton turned his gaze up to meet Dash's eyes. The jock froze, his heart quickening. How would Fenton react to waking up to Dash practically about to kiss him? The corners of his mouth tugged upward, curving into a gentle smile before Fenton's eyes slipped shut again.

Dash released his breath, the warm wash ruffling Fenton's hair. "You seriously have no idea what you do to me," he mumbled and thought he saw that smile spread a little wider. And that only made him more frustrated. Was Fenton playing with him now? Dash returned to his seat at the desk. He rubbed the heels of his palms against his eyes. Nothing about this night was making sense to him. The weird white strands in Fenton's hair. The strange coloring of his eyes. His mere presence in Dash's house. Was this all some weird plot to torment him?

Fenton slept peacefully with Bruno curled up at his feet. He didn't look like he was hurt anywhere. He wasn't bleeding anywhere. So what was he doing out cold in Dash's backyard? The question continued twisting about in his mind, searching for some kind of answer, but nothing came. He could think of no explanation.

The creaking of the bed was the first thing that alerted Dash to the fact that he fell asleep in the chair. He sat up quickly, wide awake as his gaze snapped toward the bed. Fenton froze in the middle of climbing out of the bed. Panic danced in his eyes, and his skin looked paler than ever as he met gazes with Dash. Clearly, Fenton thought he would be able to sneak out without alerting the jock.

Dash glanced at the clock. "It's only four in the morning." He rubbed tiredly at one eye. "Go back to sleep."

"What?" Fenton's voice cracked, and he was clearly nervous and scared.

A grin tried to slip onto his face before Dash schooled his expression. "There's no point in sneaking out now. It's almost daylight anyway. You might as well get a couple more hours of sleep."

"Oh, I'm going to be grounded until graduation, probably longer." Fenton groaned as he settled back onto the bed. His head buried into his hands, his fingers seeming oddly long. "I was supposed to be home before eleven."

Dash frowned and couldn't help pitying the man. "I'll take you home and explain things." He had questions. So many questions. But would Fenton answer them? He could still see the random white hairs that dotted the man's hair, but when Fenton lifted his head, his eyes were solely bright blue like normally. Was Dash seeing things before? Was it a trick of the eye? Was he simply so tired that he imagined the whole thing?

"Explain what exactly?" Fenton's mouth turned down in a frown, a cute pout as he stared with confusion and fear at the jock. Fenton had no reasons to trust him. Dash was well aware of that fact.

"I'll figure something out when we get there. Don't worry. I'm pretty good at talking my way out of trouble."

"Of course you are," Fenton muttered as he turned his head away.

Dash didn't even question that statement. He knew exactly what got Fenton's feathers all ruffled. When it came to high school, Dash could get away with just about anything. The teachers all favored him for being a star athlete. So when it came time to dish out punishment for something that happened at school, the loser usually got landed with it while Dash walked away a free man. Fenton was usually on the receiving end of that punishment, especially in freshmen year. They sat in silence for a while. Then Fenton turned his gaze back to Dash.

"Why would you help me?" Fenton glanced around the room. "And why am I here?"

"Well, I couldn't just leave you passed out in my backyard." Dash watched the play of emotions on Fenton's face. Confusion, understanding, surprise, fear, something else that Dash couldn't identify. A light color rose to his pale cheeks as Fenton lowered his eyes. "And it's not like I'm a total jerk, you know. You're not the center of the universe. I have other things to worry about than pushing you around. You know, like passing all my classes."

"I get it," Fenton growled, snapping his head up with a furious glare.

Dash swallowed, rubbing sweaty hands on his pants. He never saw a look like that on the man's face. But the scariest part was the way his eyes glowed, almost seemed to change colors. This time, Dash was certain that he wasn't imagining it. Only unlike before, a different color bled into the blue.

"Hey," Dash raised his arms defensively, "I don't know what your problem is. I was just trying to say that I don't exactly go out of my way to push you around."

Fenton relaxed somewhat, his eyes returning to normal, much to Dash's relief. He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, drawing Dash's attention to the increase of white hairs. At least four new white hairs joined the rest. "Sorry," Fenton mumbled, not meet Dash's gaze. "I guess that's why you didn't beat me up in the storage room?"

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that again." Dash's body tensed at the memory. Fenton was here in his room, in his bed. It was tempting to lie down next to the man, hold him close as he slept, but Dash knew that would have only been asking for trouble.

"Agreed not to tell anyone. Never said _we_ couldn't talk about it to each other."

"Nothing to talk about. We were locked in. That's all there is to it." Dash dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Now just crawl back under the covers and go to sleep." He gave Fenton a stern glare, one he remembered his parents giving him whenever they wanted him to obey them.

Fenton looked hesitant, like he was going to argue with him. But the glare stopped him. Frown with half hearted defiance, he laid back down on the bed. As he rolled over to face away from the jock, he threw the covers over him. Dash watched him to be sure the man didn't try to sneak out again. He missed the chance to question the man, he knew it, but he thought if he tried asking questions it would only spook Fenton and make him flee the house. Eventually, he would figure out the answers, even if it meant having to do it all on his own.


	5. Chapter 5

_How did this even happen?_ Danny wondered as he stared at the wall. He tried to think how the events of that night led to him laying in Dash's bed of all places. The ghost, who he couldn't remember if he ever gave a name, was apparently a lot stronger than Danny thought when he first ran into the ghost. Their scuffle before the chase gave Danny the impression that the ghost was still pretty new to his powers, although much faster than Danny at flying. When they met again, the ghost almost seemed to be playing with him. Danny ground his teeth in frustration. He couldn't simply allow that ghost to get away with whatever evil plan it had in mind. Unlike so many other ghosts that Danny encountered, this one didn't bother to shout out its master plan into the night for all to hear.

Danny realized he didn't have a clue what the ghost wanted. He had less of an idea about that strange attack the ghost used. His hand moved to rest over his chest. The shifting of weight in a chair made him freeze. Danny could still feel Dash's eyes boring into his back like the jock was waiting for him to attempt to sneak out again. A tired sigh escaped him. Why did he have to get stuck with Dash? How did he even end up in Dash's bedroom anyway? The last thing he recalled was the ghost's attack. He remembered panicking when his body seemed to swallow the arrow piecing his chest. Then there was that horrible freefall and hitting a tree branch. He cringed, noticing how sore his back was. Being in ghost form didn't save him from all the pain of that injury.

But what happened next? He remembered slamming into the ground then everything was a blank. That would have been a perfect opportunity for the ghost to attack him again, to take him out while he was defenseless. But the ghost left before Danny lost consciousness. What was his plan? Did he simply want to incapacitate Danny so that he wouldn't be in the way for his plan?

And why was he in Dash's bedroom? That thought kept jumping to the front of his mind. He only saw the inside of Dash's bedroom once before that one time Jazz convinced the jock to invite Danny to his party. He never imagined he would be in this room again, or in Dash's bed. It made thoughts come to his mind, like they did when they were locked in the storage room slowly pressing closer together to seek warmth. Danny almost glanced over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the jock, but with Dash's eyes still watching him, he was afraid.

Again, the question of why came to his mind. Danny couldn't believe that Dash didn't kick him out, or punch him, or why Dash didn't simply leave him outside in the dead of night. He could hear Dash's voice in his mind when the jock claimed he wasn't a "total jerk." Could that be true? Dash didn't get as angry as he could have when the door closed and locked them in the storage room. He even offered to help keep Danny warm through the use of their combined body heat. The fact that Dash dragged him inside and gave him a bed to sleep in while he was unconscious only added to the strange responses that made Danny want to lean to the thought that Dash was indeed not a total jerk.

Danny clamped his eyes shut, trying to will his mind to shut off so that he could sleep some more. He didn't want to start thinking of Dash as a "nice guy." When he started thinking like that, it made him hope there was a chance that they could become something other than bully and bullied. He knew it was a pathetic hope to want something more between them. Even friendship seemed like a big stretch. A physical attraction? He wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry at that hope.

Why couldn't he simply escape before? Dash, of course, woke up before Danny could even transform or use his ghost powers. Now with the jock keeping a close eye on him, Danny saw no way to escape unnoticed. It felt like they were locked in that storage closet again, except this time they had a lot more distance between them, thankfully. Danny bit the inside of cheek, wishing he would simply nod off already.

Danny took a deep breath and released it slowly. _So random ghost shows up, toys with me, hits me with some weird arrow thing, and just ditches me after I pass out_ , he summarized in his head, still trying to piece together some sort of understanding. _And I wake up in Dash's bedroom. Maybe I fell into some alternate timeline_. Danny frowned at that thought. While Dash did seem to be acting differently lately, Danny was pretty sure that he was still in the right timeline. The only one that could send people to different timelines was Clockwork, and that ghost he fought earlier was definitely _not_ Clockwork.

Danny was still turning over the facts in his head when he heard movement behind him. He rolled over and blinked at Dash as the jock stood and stretched. His gaze found the clock and saw that it was almost six in the morning. His parents were grounding him for life after this. Danny sat up, but before he could climb out of bed, Dash stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"My parents won't be happy that I had someone stay over without permission," Dash said, talking softly. "I'm going to go get ready for school. You stay here and don't make a sound." That stern look that refused to be argued with were back in his blue eyes as Dash pointed a finger in Danny's face. After getting a nod, Dash turned his finger on the dog that lifted his head the moment the two men started to show movement. "That goes for you too, Bruno." He gave the dog a quick rub on the head then he left the room.

Danny sighed as he leaned back against the wall. Why was he bothering to stay? With Dash out of the room, Danny could easily slipped out of the house unseen. He wouldn't have to worry about anyone seeing him using his ghost powers. But he had this feeling that if he mysteriously disappeared before Dash came back, then the jock would only harass him about it later. Why? He couldn't think of any reason other than that was simply how Dash was.

Now that he was alone, Danny lifted his shirt and examined where the arrow pierced him. His hand touched over smooth flesh until his fingers brushed over a small wrinkled patch the size of a dime right over his heart. His hand pressed flat over his chest as he bent over, gasping. The moment his fingers touched the wrinkled flesh, his chest hurt, his heart squeezing painfully. What did that attack do to him? If causing pain when touched was simply it, then it didn't seem that bad. But when did a ghost attack ever not royally mess up his life? The Box Ghost came to mind, but the ghost he fought last night was definitely several levels above the Box Ghost. What effect would that arrow have on him? It clearly wasn't meant to kill him. Why would it melt into him the way it did if it was intended to cause a fatal injury? What was the point of it? Danny needed answers. But who would even help him? None of the ghosts would ever offer him information on another ghost. If this attack had a serious side effect, the other ghosts would rejoice at his downfall.

His shoulders slumped. Danny guessed he would have to ask Tucker and Sam for help. What choice did he have? He tried not to go to them for help as much because he didn't want to drag them down with him. They managed to get good grades and got into good universities. Danny didn't want to hurt their education with his messy life.

A wet, rough tongue licked up his cheek. Danny let his shirt fall to hide his body again. He laughed as he rubbed behind the dog's ears, earning another happy lick to his face. "Well, at least someone in this house likes me." With a grin, he scratched down the dog's back, and the big golden Labrador flopped down on him, rolling over to expose his belly for rubbing. Danny grunted as the full weight of the dog rested on top of his legs. "You're a lot better than Cujo too."

"Who's Cujo?"

Danny lifted his head as Dash entered the room. The jock was dressed in clean clothes, dumping his clothes from yesterday in a laundry basket next to his closet. His blond locks were neatly slicked back as usual. Danny tore his gaze away, absently scratching the dog's belly. "Just a dog I used to, um, have." Cujo wasn't really his dog, but it felt that way for a while when the dog kept coming back to him, and causing trouble.

"Used to? He died?"

Danny chanced a glance over and caught the frown on Dash's face. The jock almost looked saddened by the news. "Yeah, but it was years ago." Danny shrugged. He still saw Cujo from time to time when the ghost dog decided to escape the Ghost Zone and have a little fun running around the human world.

"Oh." An awkward silence followed the mumble. Dash shifted his weight then leaned back against the door to his room.

"Uh, well, I guess I should go." Danny managed to extract his legs from under the dog and climbed out of bed. But when Danny approached the door, Dash didn't move, blocking the exit from the room. "Are you trying to tell me to climb out the window?" It wouldn't actually be that much of a problem for Danny.

Dash shook his head then pressed a finger to his lips. After a few minutes of waiting, they heard the slams of car doors. "I just wanted to be sure my parents were gone first." He opened the door and led the way out of his room.

"You know, I could have just left before when I woke up," Danny said as he followed after Dash down the hallway. The dog rushed past them, racing down the stairs with loud thumps.

"I said I would explain things to your parents." Dash didn't seem like he was going to let it go. "Do you want anything for breakfast?" He grabbed some things out of the refrigerator.

"No." Danny wanted to leave, but Dash's eyes kept finding him like the jock wanted to be sure Danny didn't suddenly run away. Feeling trapped, he took a seat at the kitchen table. His stomach churned with hunger, but he couldn't think of eating while he remained in Dash's house. He was pretty sure that if he tried to eat something, it wouldn't stay down long.

Dash took his time, leisurely preparing a plate of scrambled eggs for himself. When he finished, he took the seat right next to Danny. "You sure you don't want something?" He held up a forkful of eggs almost like he was trying to tempt Danny into eating it.

"No," Danny answered again as he rested his head on his hand and faced away from Dash, pointedly ignoring the food that was making his stomach growl unhappily in hunger. He suspected Dash heard the growl because the jock gave a quiet chuckle before he started devouring his breakfast. Dash didn't seem to be in any hurry, but Danny was growing increasingly frustrated. "If you're going to insist on taking me home, then could you hurry up a little? I'm never going to catch the bus at this rate. I still have to grab all my stuff and change." He shot a glare at Dash. The bus didn't worry him since he could fly anywhere as long as no one caught him transforming. But it was a good enough excuse to use right now.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Fenton." Dash laughed, completely unaffected by the glare. "I'll give you a ride." He sported a grin as he finished off his eggs.

Danny stared. He couldn't help it. Dash didn't usually direct a grin like that his way. The only looks Danny got from the jock were usually glares or cruel smirks. This grin was almost teasing, and it made his insides twist in a more pleasant manner. Then the words caught up to him, and he frowned. "Why?" he blurted out as Dash carried his plate to the sink. "Why are you doing all of this? You don't have to give me rides. You don't have to talk to my parents and try to get me out of trouble. I know you said you're not the total jerk I thought you were, but this is all just _weird_." If it wasn't for the complete strangeness of this whole situation, Danny might have felt ecstatic at the idea of spending time with Dash, when the jock was actually being nice to him.

Dash shrugged in response. "Felt like it," was the cryptic answer he gave before he left the kitchen.

Danny scrambled to his feet and followed after the jock. "I think I need a little more of an answer than that. Felt like it? You don't usually 'feel like it' when it comes to helping a loser."

Dash grabbed his book bag and slung it over one shoulder. "Maybe I do and you just never knew it." He opened the front door and held it open for Danny, who felt even more confused about the situation. "Do you prefer that I punch in the face then?"

"No, no!" Danny raised his hands in front of him. If Dash really wasn't going to beat him up, Danny didn't want to encourage him to change his mind. He hurried out the door before Dash could follow through with his question. When Dash led the way to a black convertible in the driveway, Danny wanted to kick the man. He should have known Dash would have an expensive looking car. Meanwhile, Danny's parents refused to buy him one. He still thought he was lucky that they let him get his license when he was certain they were going to make him raise his grades before he could take his driving test. Before Dash could snap at him for taking too long, Danny climbed into the passenger's seat and prepared for the most awkward car ride of his life. Could he really be certain this wasn't some alternate version of Dash?


	6. Chapter 6

Dash kept his focus on driving for the whole way over to Fenton Works. He tried not to let his mind wander to the fact that Fenton currently sat next to him. His hands remained firmly gripping the steering wheel despite that devilish little voice in his head suggesting that he reach over and place his hand on Fenton's leg, like he used to do when Paulina was with him. He really doubted that would gain a very good reaction from the other man, who was already on the skittish side about being around the jock.

When they reached the house, Fenton practically bolted out of the car in a clear show of his desire to get away from him. Dash resisted the urge to curse and slam his forehead a few hundred times on the steering wheel. He didn't want to draw Fenton's attention to the fact that he was suffering an internal dilemma about being in his presence. After he managed to compose himself, Dash climbed out of the car and followed Fenton up to the front door, which the man already opened.

"Where have you been all night?" Mrs. Fenton demanded immediately when Fenton entered the house.

Even from where he was halfway up the walkway, Dash could hear her shout. She did _not_ sound happy. Dash hurried the rest of the way at a slow jog then closed the door once he was inside. It was strange to be in Fenton Works again. The last time he was here was when he was forced to be Fenton's fitness buddy, and that brought up memories that he was still trying to block out of his mind. And failing horribly at it.

"You didn't call. We were worried sick about you!" Mrs. Fenton continued to yell. Her hands were on her hips as she glared at her son. She wore the usually blue jumpsuit, and Dash couldn't remember a time when he didn't see Fenton's parents in their jumpsuits. Fenton, luckily, never followed in his parents' fashion footsteps. Her husband towered behind her, looking as upset over the break in curfew as his wife. Fenton, meanwhile, stood with his head bowed, taking their yelling like this was a common thing, and maybe it was. Dash never really gave much thought to Fenton's home life.

"Ah, that's my fault," Dash jumped in when it was clear that Fenton wasn't going to try explaining things to his parents. Two sets of angry eyes turned on him while Fenton snapped his head up and stared in confused wonder at him. Being put in the spotlight wasn't exactly new for him. He was, after all, the star of their school's football team. "He was over at my house studying, and well, we lost track of time. I meant to have him call, but we were so exhausted from the long study session that we just passed out. It's really my fault he missed curfew."

Fenton could only gawk at Dash, his mouth hanging slightly open. But the anger seemed to evaporate immediately from his parents' eyes.

"No worries, son!" Mr. Fenton patted Dash on the shoulder with a large hand that actually made Dash stumble with the power in each pat. Dash glanced at Fenton and wondered how the man didn't inherit any of his father's strength. Or build. Mr. Fenton was huge! While Fenton looked small and dainty in comparison.

"Oh, why didn't you tell us you had a tutor?" Mrs. Fenton giggled, looking thrilled at the idea that her son was finally seeking the help he needed to improve his grades. "If that's the case, don't worry about it. But next time, try to call first if you're going to be having another overnight session."

"Will do, ma'am," Dash answered with the charming smile he reserved for parents. It always seemed to work on parents, and the Fentons were no exception. "Well, we better hurry up or we'll be late." Dash gave Fenton a nudge with his elbow, which seemed to wake the man up from his stupor.

"R-Right!" Fenton raced up the stairs two at a time toward his room. In a matter of moments, he bounded down the stairs in a clean change of clothes and his book bag thrown over his shoulder. "Bye!" He grabbed Dash's hand and dragged the jock out of his house. "What was that?" Fenton demanded in a growl as they walked toward the black convertible parked outside Fenton Works. He sounded angry enough to actually try punching the jock but somehow managed to restrain the instinct.

"It got you out of a grounding, didn't it?" Dash would have laughed in amusement, but Fenton glowered darkly, the strange coloring bleeding into his bright blue eyes. A frown crossed his face when he thought he actually saw some raven strands losing their color until they turned snow white. Was he imagining all of this? He didn't sleep all that well at his desk, and he didn't sleep a wink the last two hours to be certain Fenton didn't sneak out of the house. Knowing Fenton's clumsiness, the man would have woken up the whole house instead of making a silent escape.

"Now they're going to be expecting me to actually get better grades," Fenton snapped as he dropped heavily into the passenger's seat. "Of course, why would you care about that? You're Mr. Perfect."

If not for the clear anger radiating off the man, Dash might have teased him about calling him perfect. He shook his head as he pulled away from the curb and started driving toward Kwan's house. "Then I'll tutor you." He shrugged, ignoring the shocked gasp and wide eyes that snapped toward him. "My grades aren't _perfect_ , but they're far better than yours." He caught Fenton's mouth working up and down out of the corner of his eye before the man managed to speak again.

"Why?"

His eyes rolled in their sockets. Could Fenton think of nothing other than that question when Dash offered to help him? "Well, clearly no one else has cared enough to help you with your grades."

"That's not true." Fenton grumbled as he leaned on the door and stared at the passing scenery. "Sam always tries to get me to go to study sessions with her and Tucker."

"Well, you might blow off your friends, but I'm not going to let you do that with me." Dash sent a sharp glare toward Fenton. "I expect to see you waiting at my car immediately after school gets out."

Fenton was gaping again, doing his impression of a fish, when Kwan burst out of his house. With a shout of "go, go, go," Kwan jumped into the backseat of the car. Dash was glad he had the top down if his friend was going to do crazy stunts like that. He hit the gas as he peeled away from his friend's house.

"Do I want to ask?"

"No." The seriousness of Kwan's expression was enough to say he wouldn't like the explanation. Kwan's gaze then found Fenton, who was slouching down in the seat and trying to appear ever smaller. His eyebrow went up as he met Dash's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Do I want to ask?"

"Probably not," Dash answered with a shrug. He knew Kwan would pester him later about it when Fenton wasn't around to overhear the conversation.

The rest of the drive was quiet while Dash focused on driving toward school. Fenton refused to speak again, nervously twisting the hem of his shirt. He reminded Dash of a terrified animal ready to bolt at the first given opportunity. Kwan relaxed in the back of the car, giving Dash little grins whenever he saw his friend glancing in the rearview mirror. Sometimes, Dash really hated that Kwan knew about his secret crush on Fenton.

When they arrived, Fenton opened the door and almost made it out of the car before Dash grabbed him by the wrist. "Remember. Meet back here after class."

"I know. You don't have to repeat yourself." Fenton wrenched his arm free then hurried off toward the school building.

"So," Kwan said, leaning forward from the backseat with a sly smirk on his face. "Care to start explaining why exactly you're giving Fenton a ride to school? Or what that just now was about?"

Dash pressed back into his seat, rolling his eyes toward the sky as he tried to decide where to start. "I found him passed out in my backyard last night. And don't," he raised a hand to stop Kwan, "ask about that. I still have no idea what he was doing there, and I figured he'd just sprout out lies if I tried asking. So I made him stay over and offered to give him a ride. Well, his parents were pretty angry about the whole thing, so I made up a lie. Apparently, now I'm going to be tutoring him."

Kwan laughed as he shook his head and patted Dash on the shoulder. "You really have it bad for him. Trying to win his heart through getting good grades." He grinned widely at his friend, and Dash ground his teeth at his friend's amusement. "But can you really do it? I mean, you're no genius yourself."

"That's why you're going to help." Dash got out of the car, grabbing his bag from the backseat.

"Seriously?" Kwan hopped out of the car then followed after Dash. "I mean, I guess I can help. We're supposed to study together tonight anyway. But I think Fenton is going to need a little more help than that. Do you even know what classes he's taking?"

Dash glanced at Kwan then away, his cheeks tingeing a light pink. "We actually share a lot of the same classes."

Kwan threw an arm around Dash's shoulders. "You are so pathetic." He chuckled with another shake of his head. "So you and me," he ticked them off on his fingers. "What about Peter for French?"

Dash nodded agreement. "And Jordan for math."

"Zane for physics," Kwan added.

"Oh, good one! I really need some help on my physics homework." Dash cringed, remembering how badly he struggled with the last assignment. "I think that should be good for now. Tell them to meet at my house after school."

Kwan gave the thumbs up before he parted ways to head for his locker. Dash raked a hand through his hair, hardly believing the way things were turning out. He was going to be tutoring Fenton? That wasn't how he meant for things to go. He only used that as an excuse for why Fenton was out all night. But he couldn't deny that the man seriously needed some help. Fenton was practically drowning in his classes, nearly flunking out of several of them. Gym was probably his best subject for the simple fact that as long as he showed up and pretended to play, he would pass it. He would probably be a lot better at sports too if he wasn't constantly knocked around by the bigger players. Dash remembered the game from yesterday. Fenton managed to keep up for most of the game. Even when his stamina was clearly fading, he pushed through it to remain in the game. Dash was actually impressed with that.

Why didn't Fenton study with his friends then? If that Manson chick, Dash grumbled, was always inviting him, why did Fenton constantly reject the offer? Dash thought on it but couldn't find an answer. He sighed as he reached his locker and opened it. He decided he should count himself lucky. If Fenton did study with his friends, then Dash wouldn't have this opportunity to tutor him. It was selfish; he knew that. He wanted to help Fenton for the simple fact that it might make the man like him. He was trying to show Fenton his "nice side" with the hope that it might change Fenton's opinion of him.

His locker slammed shut suddenly, and Dash blinked at hand that held it shut. He recognized the fake fingernails painted up pink with little white hearts immediately. _Is this never going to end?_ he wondered as he turned to face the woman. "What do you want, Paulina? I don't have a lot time to get my stuff before class starts."

"Is it true?" Paulina demanded, narrowing her eyes furiously. When the meaning of her question didn't automatically gain a response from the jock, she grew angrier, almost about to explode. "I heard someone saw _Fenton_ getting out of your _car_."

"And?" Dash knocked her hand aside as he reopened his locker. He grabbed the things that he needed for class then closed it again.

"He's a _loser_ , Dash!" Paulina hissed in a low tone like she feared anyone hearing what they were talking about. "You can't be seen giving rides to losers."

"Well, that's going to be a problem seeing as I'm tutoring him." Dash headed down the hallway, hoping Paulina wouldn't follow but knowing she would.

She appeared at his side, taking quick steps to keep up with his long strides. "What?" she shrieked and caught the attentions of several students in the hallway. "Dash, you realize this goes completely against the rules of the popular, right? You can't do this. You'll be excommunicated from the popular crowd if you start hanging out with losers."

"Oh, look. My class. Bye!" Dash ducked into his first class of the day before Paulina could say anything more. She huffed and stamped her foot before she stormed off down the hallway. He sometimes really regretted that he ever dated her.

Dash released a sigh as he sank into his seat. Her threat of being cut off from the rest of the popular crowd didn't bother him. He had friends, true friends, that wouldn't abandon him simply because he decided to help someone improve their grades. That was why he trusted Kwan, Peter, Jordan, and Zane to help him with this tutoring project. Kwan, obviously as his best friend, would support him one hundred percent in whatever he did. His other three teammates all liked helping other people with homework and wouldn't question Dash for taking an interest in helping Fenton.


	7. Chapter 7

Relief flooded him the moment Danny escaped from Dash's car. As nice as it was to hang out with Dash without getting beat up, it still felt too weird to him. Why was Dash acting so nice to him? Danny scratched a hand through his hair, trying to figure it out, but he still had no answers. For anything that happened last night. He heaved a sigh as he reached his locker to grab his books for class. Being unconscious for a couple of hours didn't exactly help with his exhaustion.

_Maybe that's part of my problem_ , Danny thought, recalling the fight with the ghost. Patrolling every night and stopping ghost attacks was really starting to have an effect on him. He couldn't keep up at this rate, and his plummeting grades was only a part of proving that fact. He might capture most, though clearly not all, ghosts that he fought, but even he could tell that he was get sloppy.

"What happened last night?" Sam demanded immediately when she and Tucker found him.

Danny closed his locker, slinging his book bag over his shoulder. "Can we do this later?"

"Danny, your parents called ours asking where you were when you missed curfew." Sam wore that usual angry look that she used whenever she thought he was stupid, like whenever he risked his life fighting ghosts. Alone. Without them to back him up. There was also all the times when he declined her offer to help him with his homework and studying. "What happened," her eyes darted around and she lowered her voice, "with the ghost?"

"Like I said," Danny sighed tiredly. "Can we do this later? Like at lunch, when we don't have to worry about being overheard? Or you know, when class isn't right about to start? We all already know I'm treading that very thin line of being kicked out for missing too much class and failing too many classes. I think it would be best to hold off on this conversation so I'm not late. Again."

Sam's eyes narrowed, her mouth pursing in her anger. "Fine." She jabbed a finger into the middle of his chest. "But don't think I'm going to forget about it by lunch." She turned and stomped off in a huff.

"She's just worried," Tucker offered as they walked the opposite way down the hallway. "You cut her off last night, and she worried something bad might have happened."

Danny rubbed at his eyes. "I know. Just wish sometimes we could skip over this whole part. It's exhausting."

Tucker threw an arm over his shoulders and dragged Danny's head closer to him. "Is it really true that you got a ride to school from _Dash_?"

Danny gawked at him. "How do you even know that?"

"Dude, seriously?" Tucker's mouth dropped open, his eyes nearly bugging out behind his glasses. "How did that even come about? And of course, I heard about it! You don't just show up to school with _Dash Baxter_ and not have the whole talking about it."

"Great," Danny grumbled, smacking his forehead with one hand. "Now he can be angry at me for damaging his reputation." He sighed and glanced toward Tucker, who stared at him still expecting an answer to his question. "I'll tell you about that at lunch too. Class is about to start."

"Aw!" Tucker pouted in disappointment, clearly wanting the answer right that moment. "See you at lunch then." He gave Danny a pat on the shoulder before he disappeared into his first class.

Danny shook his head as he continued down the hallway. Why did this have to happen? Now people were going to be staring at him and whispering, trying to figure out why Dash would be hanging out with him of all people. He was almost to his class when he spotted Paulina storming furiously down the hallway. Sighing, he practically hugged the lockers as he walked, giving the woman the whole rest of the hallway to pass by him. Luck really hated him today apparently.

The moment they were passing each other, Paulina shot out a hand, slamming him into the locker. Danny gasped at the unusual pain that pinched at his chest when her hand pressed flat against him. Right over his heart. "Look, you little piece of trash," Paulina whispered heated with one perfectly manicured finger pointing in his face. "Keep away from Dash." After her threat was made, Paulina pulled away from him then continued her stomping down the hallway.

Danny rubbed at his chest, watching her for a few seconds. What was that all about? He was glad he gave up on his pathetic crush on her years ago. _If only I could stop liking Dash now_ , he grumbled mentally as he entered his first class. As if the fates wished to torment him some more, his eyes met with Dash's dark blue eyes, and his chest squeezed. Why couldn't they have completely different classes? He spent almost every hour of school in the same classrooms as Dash. Whoever scheduled their classes probably thought it would be hilarious to stick them together almost all day long.

Danny dropped into an open seat, luckily across the room from Dash. He buried his head in his arms, wanting to bang his head against the desktop. Now, not only would he be stuck with Dash all day, but he would be forced to hang out with Dash after school as well for studying. He would skip it like he did with Sam and Tucker, but Danny knew Dash wasn't one to be ignored.

Classes seemed to drag on more than usual today. Danny struggled to keep awake while his teachers talk. Unfortunately for him, after their first class together, Dash made a point of sitting next to him whenever they shared a class. That only gained them more attention from their classmates, who couldn't believe that they would ever sitting next to each other without Dash trying to pound Danny into the ground. Whenever Danny felt himself drifting off to sleep, Dash would kick at the leg of his chair, the jerk snapping Danny awake again. He shot dark glares at Dash, but the jock pretended to be oblivious.

By the time lunch rolled around, Danny was starving but wanted to crawl into some dark corner of the school and sleep the rest of the day away. He wasn't so lucky as the moment he had his lunch, Sam and Tucker grabbed him and pulled him to a secluded part of the school where they could talk without anyone eavesdropping on them.

"Spill it already," Sam said, stabbing a fork into her salad. Determined eyes glared at him, waiting for the explanation.

Danny picked the pickles off his sandwich then licked the sauce from his fingers before he spoke. "We fought. He ran. I chased. We fought. He escaped." He shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich. His stomach released a happy growl at finally being fed. "And I have no idea who he is or what he wants."

"And you didn't go home why?" Sam pressed, her eyes narrowing.

Danny gulped. She obviously knew that he wasn't telling everything. He glanced at Tucker, but his other friend was patiently waiting for more information as well. "He might have," Danny rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, "hit me with an attack that knocked me out. It really isn't that big of a deal. He fled right afterward anyway."

"Well, I think Tucker and I should patrol with you tonight."

He could feel the coloring draining from his face as he gave a weak laugh. "Uh, about that," Danny mumbled, not meeting either of his friends' gazes, "I'm not going on patrol tonight."

"What?" Sam and Tucker shouted at once.

Danny cringed. "Wow! Can you two lay off the supersonic screaming?" He reached up and rubbed at his ear, like he thought something might have ruptured during their exclamation. "The thing is, I need rest. Clearly since I'm failing at everything in my life right now. I know it's important to deal with the ghost, and I will, but I can't keep going if I'm exhausted from nightly patrols. Anyway, I kind of have plans tonight."

Sam's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but Tucker was the one to pipe up next. "Does this have anything to do with Dash? Because I'm still waiting on an explanation about that."

"About what?" Sam's brow knitted as she glanced between her friends.

Danny shot a glare at Tucker before he sighed. "Yeah, it does." He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "So after I woke up from the attack, I found myself in Dash's bedroom."

"Ew!"

"Dude, what?"

Danny lifted his hands. "Yeah, I have no answers either. Apparently he found me passed out in his backyard and couldn't just leave me there. To be honest, I don't know why he would even care if I was left passed out in someone's yard all night. Actually, I'm more surprised that he didn't just dump out on the street instead." He shrugged and wanted to leave the story there, but he could see his friends were still waiting for more answers. He rolled his eyes. "Dash is forcing me to meet him after school to study."

"Why would he do that?"

"We could study with you." Sam folded her arms, a dark aura almost radiating off her. "You always say no when we ask you to study with us."

"Who tells Dash no and actually lives to talk about it?" Danny pointed out, deciding it best not to tell them about how weirdly nice Dash was being since yesterday. It was still too confusing for him. He didn't want Tucker and Sam to start unloading their thoughts about it on him.

"Do you think it could have anything to do with the ghost?" Tucker asked then blinked owlishly when his friends turned to stare at him. "What?"

"Why would you think that?" Danny gaped at Tucker, still trying to process the question.

"Well, that ghost hits you with an attack," Tucker explained with a shrug. "Then Dash is the first one to see you and suddenly starts wanting to hang out with you? That's not normal! It has to be some weird side effect from the ghost attack or something."

"He might have a point there," Sam agreed, frowning as he held her chin in one hand. "What kind of attack did the ghost hit you with?"

"Oh, that's just crazy!" Danny finished off the last of his sandwich. "Why would any ghost have an attack that would make Dash suddenly nice to me?" He picked up his trash as he climbed to his feet. He was getting unreasonably upset, but the idea that Dash could only be nice to him because of a ghost hurt. Even if he knew that was the most logical answer, it still didn't explain why a ghost would bother with something like that. It could be an accidental side effect. Maybe the ghost didn't even know how that arrow would affect Danny, or people around him.

"We're just trying to help." Sam placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. "We shouldn't disregard a possibility simply because it sounds a bit crazy. What if it's right and we ignore it? We don't know what could happen if we don't deal with the effects of the attack."

"We don't know that there were any effects," Danny pointed out with a bitter glare. "Not all ghosts have attacks with weird effects. I don't feel any different. And just because Dash is being a little weird doesn't mean anything." He resist the urge to rub at his chest, knowing whenever he touched that spot where the arrow hit him, it hurt.

"It's still worth keeping an eye on him," Tucker said, not looking any more convinced than Sam. "Just in case. You don't want something bad to happen just because you ignored something, right?"

Danny frowned, but he knew they had a point. "Fine. We'll keep an eye on him," he replied grudgingly.

"Good. If anything happens while you're with him tonight, let us know." Sam patted him on the back.

"Yeah, yeah," Danny mumbled, forcing himself not to wince. His friends didn't need to know about the ache in his back too. At least, the soreness seemed to be lessening as the day progressed. They gathered up their things then started down the hallway before the bell rang to signal the end of their lunch period.

Danny tried to linger back before reaching his first class after lunch, knowing that Dash would be there. Several of the women in the class had a crush on the jock. Danny tried to squash that rising jealousy as he checked the room to see which of the love struck women managed to score seats next to the blond. A happy flutter made his heart skip when he saw the only open seat available was right next to Dash, but at the same time, his shoulders sagged. He hoped that he could avoid sitting next to Dash again if he was last to arrive. But the jock, apparently, made sure Danny had no choice in the matter.

_This little determination of his to help me in school is going to kill me_ , Danny thought grumpily as he took his seat. He caught glares from the women who didn't get a seat next to Dash and buried his head in his textbook. _I am so tempted to overshadow you and make you look like a complete idiot in front of the entire class right now, Dash _. He ground his teeth, wishing the day was over already.__

__When it came time for the final class of the day, Danny really wished he had the ability to fast forward through it. Gym was the same as usual. They were still playing basketball, and he was still stuck on Dash's team. The other players knocked him around like a ragdoll. He ran for the other end of the court when the opposing team seized control of the ball._ _

__Then it felt like an explosion of pain when the basketball hit his back with enough force to knock him off his feet. A shout managed to escape him as he hit the ground, and laughter filled the gym. His face burned brightly as he struggled back to his feet. His back still screamed with pain._ _

__"Hey, that was totally uncalled for," Dash shouted, and Danny turned his head to see the jock shove one of the other players._ _

__"It's not my fault Fenturd is such a klutz." The other man that Danny recalled was named Stan shoved Dash back. Anger flashed in Dash's expression, and his arm pulled back like he was ready to throw a punch._ _

__The shrill whistle made everyone stop. "Is there a problem?" Tetslaff demanded in a voice that made most students quake in their shoes._ _

__"No," both Dash and Stan growled, still glaring darkly at each other._ _

__"Good. Then let's get back to the game."_ _

__Stan purposely bumped into Dash's shoulder as he passed. After shooting a scowl at the man, Dash walked over to Danny. "Go sit out," he ordered._ _

__"No, I'm fine. I can still play." Danny wasn't sure why he was being so insistent. They did have a sub for their team, and he was feeling a bit winded and sore after that ball to the back._ _

__"Sit out," Dash ordered again, more threateningly this time._ _

__Danny gulped and nodded. There was no arguing with Dash sometimes. He walked over to the sidelines and tagged in their sub. When he collapsed onto the bleachers, he hissed in pain. While his back felt better as the day passed, that blow to the back seemed to renew the agony from falling onto that tree branch last night. He bent over with his head between his knees as he took deep breaths, waiting for the pain to subside. He really wanted to get back at Stan right now for purposely hitting him._ _


	8. Chapter 8

Dash didn't miss an opportunity to trip up Stan for the rest of class. The two of them bumped heads many times in the last few minutes before Tetslaff blew the whistle and dismissed them. He smirked to himself when Stan got called to stay after class and do clean up with someone that Dash barely even knew. Fenton disappeared the moment class was dismissed, and Dash didn't catch sight of him in the rush of other students heading for the locker room. They still shared the same row of lockers for storing their things during class.

When he reached his locker, Dash froze as Fenton lifted his shirt, slowly revealing ever inch of pale flesh. Or what should be pale flesh. "What the hell?" Dash exclaimed as he grabbed hold of Fenton's arms, stopping the man as he before he could finish removing his shirt.

"Ow! What are you doing, Dash?" Fenton tried to pull free, but Dash had a good hold on his arms.

"I know Stan hit you pretty hard with the basketball, but shit, Fenton." Dash's wide eyes roamed over Fenton's back, taking in the dark bruising from shoulders to the small of his back. "What the hell happened to you to cause that bruising?"

"Uh, bruising?" Fenton glanced over his shoulder at the jock. His brow pinched as an eyebrow raised somewhat. "What do you mean?"

Dash gaped at him. How could Fenton not know about the bruising on his back? And was he the only one that noticed Fenton's white hairs? He swore there were more of them dotting the man's dark locks. Getting over his surprise, Dash dragged Fenton over to the nearest mirror in the locker room. "This bruising," he growled, turning Fenton around so that his back faced the mirror.

Fenton stared over his shoulder at the mirror and gulped. "Uh," he stalled, staring numbly at the black and blue splattering across his flesh. "I guess that happened last night." His voice was mumbled and thoughtful.

"You mean when you fell unconscious in my yard?" Dash's hands tightened somewhat on Fenton's arm. "I'd still like an explanation for what you were doing there."

"It's not like I knew it was your yard." Fenton yanked his arms, but Dash wouldn't let him break free. "I really don't know. I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't."

Dash frowned, and his eyes narrowed, not quite buying it. But he knew Fenton wouldn't give a straight answer. "That sort of thing happen to you a lot?" He never gave it much thought in the past. When he started noticing his growing attraction for the other man, Dash made a point of ignoring any time Fenton exposed his body, which became very difficult when they were right next to each other in the locker room changing in and out of their gym clothes. He never looked to see if the man sported any injuries.

Dash wasn't the only bully in the school, so he wouldn't be surprised if another bully was picking on Fenton. But even he never left that kind of bruising on Fenton. He might have given Fenton a black eye or a busted lip or a bruised rib. His jaw clenched at the thought of someone attacking Fenton to the point of his back becoming one large bruise. The desire to hunt that person down and return the favor rose in him.

"No," Fenton answered, breaking Dash from his reverie. While the jock's thoughts were distracted, Fenton wiggled his arms free from the slackened grip. "And it's fine. Barely even hurts now."

It was a lie. Dash could see that clearly in Fenton's blue eyes, but he let it slide. The man wouldn't give him the truth no matter how much he demanded it. A hand raked through his blond hair, yanking at the short locks in frustration. He huffed out a sigh as he followed Fenton back to the row with their lockers. All day he kept a close watch on the man, hoping to pick up any clue to explain what was going on with Fenton. But so far, he still had no answers.

Fenton darted out of the locker room as soon as he finished changing. The man was fast on his feet sometimes! Dash hoped he didn't forget to meet at his car. He didn't feel like tracking the man down and dragging him to the car when he didn't show up. Once he finished getting dressed, Dash left the locker room and went to meet up with Kwan. His friend leaned against the lockers, waiting for him as usual.

"I told the guys," Kwan announced as soon as Dash approached. "They're already on their way to your house."

Dash gave a curt nod of understanding. "Let's just hope Fenton didn't scurry away like a chicken."

Kwan's arm wrapped around his friend's shoulders as they walked down the hallway toward the school's exit. "Should we give you two a little alone time so you can charm him with your awesome knowledge?"

Dash scowled as he shoved Kwan, a little harder than he meant to, but Kwan merely laughed at that reaction.

"I'm surprised you didn't try anything when you had all nicely laid out in your bed." Kwan wouldn't stop grinning, the smile nearly reaching from ear to ear. He bumped the door open with his hip and backed out of the building so that his grin never left his friend's sight.

"Yeah, because that would have gone over well." Dash gave a sarcastic roll of his eyes. "He would have jumped out the window and run screaming into the night if I thought of trying anything. I doubt just throwing myself at him will win him over."

"No, of course not. That's what this whole little tutor setup is for."

"At least it'll help him see me in a better light even if nothing comes from it." Dash gave Kwan a punch in shoulder to stop him from saying anything else. They were nearing his car, and he could see Fenton huddled in the backseat, probably trying to make himself small enough to go unseen by other students passing the car.

"Hey, Fenton!" Kwan greeted cheerily, dropping his bag next to Fenton on the backseat. He reached over and ruffled the man's raven locks before he climbed into the passenger's seat. "Ready for this tutoring thing?"

"You're going to be there too?" Fenton paled as that fact smacked him right in the face.

"Of course he is," Dash said, his voice coming out a bit too grumpy. He climbed into the car then started the engine. "Kwan and I always study together."

"Yeah," Kwan agreed as he twisted around in the seat to face Fenton. Dash pulled out of his parking slot and drove out of the school's parking lot. "We also got a few of our teammates to join us."

"What?" Fenton literally squeaked as fear and panic made his eyes grow wide as saucers. He scrunched down into the backseat, making himself appear even smaller if possible.

"Don't worry." Kwan patted the man on his knee, which was about all he could reach. "They love to help people study. They won't care that you're not exactly a part of our crowd." He turned around suddenly in his seat to frown at his friend. "Speaking of which, Paulina sure was pissed today. She kept yammering on at me like somehow she was going to convince me to give you the cold shoulder." He rolled his eyes. "The bitch."

"What exactly happened?" Fenton asked, curiosity apparently breaking him out of his terrified stupor. "She looked ready to claw my eyes out this morning." He shrank a little when Kwan's gaze snapped back to him. "She told me to keep away from Dash." He shrugged with a cute little frown of confusion.

With a sigh, Dash shook his head. "Don't pay attention to her. I don't care if she wants to try to get me kicked out of the A crowd. I'm helping you with your studies. She can't tell me who I help out."

"You don't?" The confusion remained on Fenton's face. "Why? I mean, we're not friends or anything. Why are you doing all this to help me? I would have thought you'd be laughing at the fact that I'm one bad grade away from being kicked out of school."

"Someone has to care!" Dash shouted, blurting it out before he realized what he said. He caught Fenton's shocked face and tried to fight back a flush. "I just mean-" He shook his head, not even sure how to explain his outburst. How could he tell Fenton that he cared about him without completely scaring the man?

Fenton shifted uncomfortably in the backseat, keeping his gaze lowered. "Thanks," he mumbled so quietly that Dash almost missed it. Fenton jumped, jerking his leg away when Kwan's hand found his knee again.

"Hey, we all care," Kwan assured him with a friendly grin. "It's why we all agreed to help Dash with this whole studying thing. We'll make sure you know everything you need to know to pass your classes! You did finish reading the book for Lancer's report, right?"

"Uh," Fenton looked away, red in the face as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I tried too." Sighing in depression, he hung his head. "I just couldn't keep my focus. I don't think I even got a third of the way through it."

The answer produced a frown from Kwan. "Well, I've got the thing pretty much memorized. I can give you a basic summary of it and help you with points for the report. But you're going to have to come up with what to write on your own." He pointed a threatening finger at Fenton, daring the man to argue with him.

Fenton's hands went up defensively. "Of course," he agreed quickly, gaining a grin from Kwan, who turned back around in his seat for the remainder of the ride.

When he pulled into his driveway, Dash noticed Jordon's junky jeep already sitting on the street in front of his house. "They better not be wrecking the house already," he grumbled as they climbed out of his car. The other three jocks weren't standing impatiently on the doorstep, which meant his mother was home early from work.

"After the last time?" Kwan laughed at the memory. "I think they know better than to get on your mom's bad side."

He did have a point there. Dash unlocked the door for them, holding it open until Kwan entered. Fenton hesitated on the doorstep, and for the briefest moment, Dash actually believed the man would turn tail and bolt down the street. But Fenton offered a weak, uneasy smile that he obviously forced onto his face before he entered. Dash rolled his eyes, deciding Fenton probably thought he was about to get the pounding of his life from the jocks.

"Dash! Peter's eating all the chips," Zane complained from the kitchen.

"God, they're a bunch of pigs," Dash muttered. He caught Fenton standing nervously in the front hall, looking awkward as ever. When Dash placed his hands on his shoulders, Fenton jumped in fright. A grin tugged at Dash's mouth as he directed the man into the kitchen. "We're not here to pig out," he told the other jocks, who looked up when the pair entered. "Get the chips off the table and get your books out."

Confused looks passed around for the three jocks, but Kwan grinned happily, popping a chip into his mouth. Dash didn't miss that the only seats available at the table were right next to each other, and he knew that was due to Kwan's planning. He wasn't about to complain though since he wanted to keep close to Fenton.

"So what are we starting with today?" Peter asked, leaning back in his seat.

"What are you weakest at?" Dash questioned Fenton as he pushed the man down into one of the available chairs. Then he took the chair next to him.

Fenton gulped as all eyes turned on him. He shrank in the seat, like he was trying to disappear from their eyes. "Well, I really need to get that report done of Lancer. And I'm totally bombing in math." His cheeks flushed darkly at the admission of his failures in school.

"Where exactly are you in math?" Jordan asked excitedly, shoving Zane out of the seat next to Fenton. He grabbed his textbook and slid it in front of them on the table.

"Jerk," Zane muttered, punching Jordan on the shoulder as he passed around the man to take the open chair. Dash tried not to laugh as Fenton stared stunned at the dark skinned jock next to him. The man clearly wasn't expecting all of them to be so eager to help him with his studies. But once they got down to business, Fenton seemed to relax.


	9. Chapter 9

The time flew by faster than Danny thought it would. His parents didn't get angry when he arrived home late at night after a study session, taking pride in the fact that he was finally doing something about his grades. The constant studying, however, gave him little time to hang out with Tucker and Sam. The only time he saw them was at lunch when they drilled him about the ghost and spending so much time with Dash.

Classes were the same as that first day after the ghost attack. Dash kept stealing the seat right next to him and making sure he didn't fall asleep in class. But Danny was getting better at sensing his kicks. The first time he retaliated by kicking at Dash's foot before he could jerk the chair, panic made him sweat. He expected Dash to get angry and yell at him or punch him. Instead, Dash gave him half a grin as he turned back to the teacher. After that, it was almost like a game between them. Sometimes, Danny pretended to doze off just so they could play their little kick game between their desks. That got them into trouble a few times when it turned into an intense battle and they started laughing too loudly.

Danny thought he would be lucky and get weekends off to relax, but bright and early Dash came to pick him for another study session. He groaned as Dash dragged him to his house, but he didn't mind it as much as he thought he should. Hanging out with Dash and his football buddies wasn't all that bad. None of them made fun of him, and he liked getting to be in on all their jokes and pranks they pulled on each other when they study. They actually treated him like one of the group rather than some dorky loser they got stuck tutoring.

He realized absently that it was strange that Dash always took the seat next to him when they were studying. It was like they suddenly became glued to the hip, and Danny kept trying to push away his feelings before he did something stupid in front of all the jocks at the table. Pretending he wasn't attracted to Dash became more difficult whenever his leg bumped against Dash's leg under the table. He was surprised the Dash didn't immediately jerk away from him. Then there were times when one of the other jocks would bump into him while they were rough housing or joking around and he would nearly land right in Dash's lap. Danny was still trying to understand why Dash didn't seem in the least bit bothered by that. Could Sam and Tucker be right about the effect of the ghost attack? Was Dash treating him like this only because of that ghost attack? He scratched at his head, struggling with his thoughts.

"How did you manage to get a fraction in your answer for that?" Jordan exclaimed in shock as he glanced over Danny's work on his math homework. They were working in rounds so that none of Danny's classes got overlooked, but math remained his most troubled class. He ended working with Jordan a lot more than the rest of the jocks.

"Ugh! I don't know!" Danny complained as he rubbed out his answer. "I'm never going to remember all of this for finals." As much fun as he was having with the jocks, he still felt this overwhelming sense of hopelessness when it came to school. He didn't feel like his grades were improving at all, and his brain throbbed with all the information they were trying to cram into it. He breathed out a sigh, rubbing at his head.

"You're getting a lot better at it," Jordan told him with an encouraging pat on the back. "You got through most of those equations without an error. And this is the last problem. Then you can put math behind you for the rest of the day."

Danny stared miserably at the problem. He didn't even know how he ended up getting a fraction for the answer. As he struggled to work out the correct answer, his phone rang. Danny pulled out his cell phone and looked at the caller information. "I should take this," he mumbled as he stood from the table.

"Five minutes!" Zane shouted. "If you're not back in five minutes, I'm stealing your food."

Danny hesitated, knowing Zane would indeed steal his food while he was gone. He picked up his slice of pizza and took a long lick from cheese dripping tip to the crust. With a smirk, he dropped it back on his plate as Zane groaned about how disgusting that was. The other jocks burst into laughter while Danny slipped out the door into the backyard.

"What's up, Sam?" Danny asked, walking a little farther into the backyard. The air was humid in the late evening, but it felt refreshing and much needed after suffering the heat inside the kitchen. He tried to ignore it all day, but the room only seemed to grow hotter and hotter until his head felt like it was swimming in dizziness. It made it very hard to concentrate, especially when he remembered the way Dash's leg kept finding his leg under the table and rubbing against him. The memory made him swallow thickly, and the need to sit drew him to the tree at the back of the yard. He collapsed to the ground and leaned back against the tree.

"First, glad to hear from you," Sam said, almost sounding relieved. "We were beginning to wonder if Dash and his idiot friends might have killed you. I thought we had plans today."

"Oh!" Danny winced. "Yeah, sorry. I forgot all about the movies. I kind of got dragged out of bed, pretty much, by Dash to finish up all the homework and stuff that we didn't complete yesterday. I almost miss having my life constantly threatened by ghosts. At least that was something I knew how to deal with."

"I still think Tucker might be onto something with this whole thing about the attack causing some weird effect on Dash." Sam grew increasingly supportive of the theory the more time Danny spent with Dash.

It became an annoyance, and Danny had to take a deep breath not to let it draw him into a fight with his friends. Sometimes he wanted to yell at them when they made that suggestion. It almost hurt that they thought Dash couldn't like him as a friend without the help of a ghost. But he also realized that he was clinging to the hope that something more might happen between him and Dash. "So he's not being a dick to me anymore." He sighed, resting his head back against the tree. "If that's really the only effect, do we really need to be concerned?"

"Yes!" Sam snapped angrily. "We don't know that it's limited to that." She grumbled. "But I guess we don't really have anything else to go on. You haven't experienced anything since the attack."

"Nope," Danny agreed. But it was a lie. That wrinkled bit of flesh over his heart remained from the ghost attack. Whenever he touched it, he felt a terrible pinching pain in his chest. He never told Sam or Tucker about that, not wanting to make them worry any more than they already did. As long as he didn't touch that spot, he was fine.

"Are you sure there's nothing else you can remember from the attack?"

Danny closed his eyes, holding back an exasperated sigh at the question. "I've already told you everything. I told you what he looks like. I told you where I first found him. I told you about his attacks. We've gone over every detail at least a hundred times. What do you expect to hear by asking about it again?"

"We're just trying to help." Sam grumbled again to herself. "Anyway, Tucker and I are going to check around some more tonight and see if we can find this ghost. Do you want to come?"

"I don't know. I still have a lot of studying. And I don't think these guys are going to me go anytime soon."

"It's beginning to feel like they're trying to steal you away."

Danny could see the frown on her face. "It's not like that! They're just helping me with studying. Besides they wouldn't be doing it if Dash didn't ask them first. And don't start with the Dash stuff again. We've talked it to death already at school."

"You're being awfully defensive about Dash. If I didn't know any better, I would think you like being stuck hanging out with him."

Danny laughed, and it sounded forced even to him. "Like it? Why would I like it?"

"Danny," Sam spoke in a slow, threatening tone that made Danny nervous. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Like what?" Danny swallowed and was terribly tempted to "accidentally" hang up on the call. "Look. I should probably get back now before they send out the jock search party to find me."

"Danny-" Her voice cut off when Danny ended the call. He winced knowing that would probably earned him an entire lunch period of yelling from Sam. But he really didn't want to listen to Sam trying to make guesses about his feelings toward Dash. He didn't want to think of his friends' reactions when they found out he liked Dash. They probably still thought he was madly crushing on Paulina.

A soft whine brought Danny's mind out of his thoughts. He dropped his gaze to see Dash's golden Labrador sitting in front of him. With a grin, he reached out and rubbed the dog's head. Bruno, as he learned the dog was named, wedged his way between Danny's legs so that he could lick at the man's face. His head dropped, and he sniffed at Danny's shirt, pressing his wet nose against the man's chest.

"Ah!" Danny lifted the dog's head as a sharp pain stabbed at his chest. "No touching that spot," he warned the dog who merely gave him another big lick to the face. Danny sighed as he wrapped his arms around the dog and buried his face the soft fur. "I wish your owner liked me as much as you seem to."

"Zane is getting really tempted to steal your pizza."

When Kwan's voice suddenly reached him, Danny tensed. Heat rose to his face, making his head feel even dizzier than before. Slowly, he lifted his head from the dog's neck to see Kwan standing before him with a bright smile on his face. He gulped nervously. "Uh, hi, Kwan," he said with a weak laugh as he glanced away. "What'cha doing out here?"

Kwan rolled his eyes. "I came out here to get you. It seems like you're done with that phone call."

"Right." Danny met Kwan's eyes, but he couldn't read whether or not the man heard his comment. If he did, was he going to run off and tell Dash about it the first moment they were alone? His breath hitched at that thought. If Dash learned about his crush, it would definitely scare the jock off! He stared warily at the man in front of him. In the time they spent together, Kwan didn't seem like the type to go around spreading rumors about someone crushing on someone else.

Taking a deep breath, Danny stood. He would have to face the music eventually. When he took a step, Danny wobbled, the world tipping before him. He landed against a hard chest and lifted his blurry vision to stare up at Kwan.

"Are you feeling all right?" Kwan's voice was filled with concern as he helped steady Danny on his feet.

"Yeah, just, you know, head feels like it's going to explode with all the stuff you all keep trying to cram into it," Danny answered, laughing. He let go of Kwan and started walking toward the backdoor. In not more than three steps, his legs bucked under him. With his quick reflexes, Kwan was there to catch him, arms wrapping around the man's torso.

"Perhaps it's time to call things done for tonight," Kwan suggested. This time he held Danny up as they walked toward the backdoor. When they entered the kitchen, Jordan and Peter were cackling like mad while Zane was trying to wipe pizza sauce off his face.

"What's wrong?" Dash asked, spying the pair immediately when they came back.

"I think we may be pushing poor little Fenton a little too much," Kwan answered, ruffling Danny's hair. "I think he's about to pass out from mental overload."

"But we didn't even get to French yet," Peter complained.

"Tomorrow," Danny told him, gathering up his books. He ended up needing Dash and Kwan's help when he kept stumbling and dropping things. The heat was even more intense in the kitchen, and he struggled not to let his consciousness slip and pass out right then and there. Didn't any of the jocks notice the terrible heat?

"Come on. I'll drive you home," Dash said, pushing Danny toward the front door.

"I'll get a ride with Jordon," Kwan called as they left.

Danny collapsed into the passenger's seat of Dash's car. His back pressed into the seat as he closed his eyes. "Why is it so hot?" he mumbled, picking at the front of his shirt and trying to fan himself with it.

"You know, you don't look so good." Dash frowned, concern flashing swiftly through his blue eyes. His head shook when Danny glared at him. "I mean, you look all sweaty. Do you have a fever? If you're sick, you should have said something sooner? We would have given you a break from studying if you aren't well."

Danny huffed, pulling up his shirt to wipe his face with it. He did feel horribly sweaty everywhere. Maybe he was getting sick. "I was feeling fine this morning," he grumbled. "Then it just kept feeling warmer, and I guess that wasn't the normal near summer warmth that we've been having."

"Well, try to get some rest tomorrow," Dash told him, still with that eerie concern in his voice. "It won't be good if you end up having to skip school because you're sick."

"I can't afford to miss anymore classes." Danny didn't even notice when they finally reached his house. Dash actually got out and helped him to the front door. After a few tries and Dash guiding his hand, Danny managed to get the door unlocked. He thought there may have been a short talk with his parents, but he only remembered crawling into bed and drawing his covers around him like a protective cocoon.


	10. Chapter 10

He was worried. It wasn't simply because ever since Fenton returned from the phone call he took outside, he seemed to be unable to stay on his feet for longer than two seconds. It wasn't even the way he kept dropping his books when he was trying to pack up for the night. Fenton lifted his shirt up, scrubbing at his sweaty face. Despite his best efforts, Dash's eyes kept getting pulled toward the smooth expanse of flesh of Fenton's body exposed by the action. A sheen of sweat shone on the pale flesh, and Dash chewed on his lower lip, trying to find some way to distract his thoughts.

Fenton clearly wasn't feeling well. He kept breathing out heavily, his chest rising and falling with each breath. His eyes were half closed, and he was sweating like crazy. Dash agreed that it was a bit warm that night, and there was a slight humidity in the air. But it wasn't that bad to leave a person dripping with sweat. The only thing Dash could think of was that Fenton was coming down with something. He really hoped he didn't get it too.

The more troubling fact was the increase of white hairs. He noticed it over the time they spent studying. Fenton gained more white hairs by the day, and Dash couldn't think of an explanation for that odd occurrence. _And why does no one else seem to notice it?_ he wondered time and time again. The white hairs stuck out like a sore thumb against the raven hair.

At a stop sign, Dash took a risk. He reached a hand over, pressing it to Fenton's forehead, which felt like it was burning. Fenton gave no reaction beyond a mumbled protest and a feeble attempt to swat away the hand. Dash was fairly certain the man didn't even realize what was going on right then. Sucking in a deep breath, he ran his fingers through the raven locks. He watched closely, and he could have sworn that the white hairs actually passed _through_ his fingers. Snapping his hand back, Dash stared at Fenton in wonder. His worries were only increasing as he kept an eye on the man.

When they reached Fenton Works, Dash hurriedly climbed out of the car to support Fenton on the way up to the front door. Once they were inside, Fenton managed a mumbled hello to his parents before stumbling his way up the stairs to his bedroom. Dash watched, wincing whenever Fenton stumbled on the steps and nearly smacked his head when he fell.

"Is everything all right?" Mr. Fenton asked, worriedly watching his son's poor attempts to make it up the stairs.

"Just a little exhausted from all this studying," Dash answered in an easy lie. "I'm sure a day of bed rest and he'll be fine and ready to get his head in those books again." He wore a charming smile that parents just seemed to eat up.

"I'm so glad you're doing all this," Mrs. Fenton said. "We've been so worried about him. His grades have gone down every year, and every time we try to talk to him about it, he just gets cranky and locks himself up in his room." She sighed, placing a hand to her cheek. "I don't know where we went wrong with him. Jazz was always so bright."

Dash resisted the urge to snap at her and kept his smile firmly on his face. There was nothing wrong with Fenton! Dash could see the man was intelligent. If he only put more effort into his schooling sooner, he wouldn't be in such desperate need for help now. Dash didn't understand why Fenton ignored his studies for so long. He assumed the man had a good reason. But it bothered him that Fenton's parents looked at him as such a disappointment because he didn't compare to their precious Jazz. Living the shadow of his perfect sister might have some affect on Fenton. Maybe that was it. Perhaps Fenton gave up trying because of always being looked down on his parents because he didn't match his sister in intelligence.

"I should be going," Dash announced tightly. He wanted to leave before he let something rude slip out. "I have some studying left to do myself."

"Oh, of course!" Mrs. Fenton agreed and opened the front door for him. "And thank you once again for finally getting through to Danny." She smiled sweetly as she closed the door once he stepped out onto the front step.

Dash stared at the door for a moment before he turned on his heel and stomped down the walkway to his car. It took some effort for him to finally start the car and drive away from Fenton Works. The unreasonable desire to burst into the house and steal Fenton away like some deranged kidnapper sprang to mind more than once as he sat in his car. It was a ridiculous thought because it wasn't like Fenton was suffering any sort of abuse at his parents' hands. Unless he counted this seeming degrading talk about his lack of intelligence as a form of abuse. His teeth ground, and his hands tightened around the steering wheel. _He's probably told that so often that he actually believes he's stupid_ , Dash thought bitterly.

He pulled into his driveway at home, and when he started toward the door, Dash stopped. "What are you doing here?" he asked, mouth pursing and eyes narrowing.

"Dash, you're being insane," Paulina told him. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and fury in her eyes. "He's just using you to become popular. That's what all those stupid losers do."

"He's not stupid!" Dash shouted in her face. He wished people would stop trying to suggest that Fenton was dumb. "And he doesn't care about popularity. Nothing that's happening between has anything to do with popularity."

"Oh my god, Dash! How can you be so blind? It's always about popularity."

"Well, fine." Dash stomped around her, sick of the circular argument they kept getting in ever since he found Fenton in his backyard. "I don't really care. Go ahead. Spread your rumors. Trash my name. Make the whole school turn against me. I don't give a shit what you do. I'm done." He put the key in the door, unlocking it so that he could go inside.

"Why are you getting so damn angry about this?" Paulina demanded, grabbing his wrist as he pushed the door open. "Why do you even care about that stupid loser? God, it's almost like you have feelings for him or something."

"Stop calling him stupid!" Dash growled with a darkening glare at the woman.

Paulina stared at him. It worked slowly through her mind. He could see it playing in her eyes. Confusion replaced by surprise then twisted by disgust. "Gross! First that shit head Kwan, and now the loser? What is wrong with you?" She backed away from him. "I can't I ever let you date me."

"I can't believe I ever _wanted_ to date you. You were always nothing more than a selfish bitch." Dash entered the house and slammed the door shut. He didn't want to talk with Paulina ever again. Why did he ever want to be with her? He honestly couldn't remember. Even back in his days of being a jerk bully, he couldn't understand what he saw in Paulina. Nothing ever mattered to her beyond being popular and having things her way and manipulating boys to give her whatever she desired.

"Dash, sweetie, are you all right?" his mother asked, appearing at the door to the front room. "We heard yelling."

Dash shook his head. "Just an argument with Paulina." He started toward the stairs when he heard his father cough. With one foot on the bottom step, he told to face his father. Dread filled him when he caught the stern look on the man's face.

"What was that about your friends?" A bushy blond eyebrow lifted up, and Dash knew there was no hope that his parents didn't hear that portion of the conversation.

"What of it?" Dash snapped, making his mother flinch at the sudden harshness of his voice. "If I happen to like a guy, so what?"

"And when were you planning on telling us this?" his father asked with his arms folded over his board chest.

Dash blinked, his gaze darting between his parents. "Wait. You're not going to get mad at me?"

"I can't say I exactly approve," his father grumbled. "But if you want to be gay, I won't stand in your way. I would prefer if this doesn't come between us because I would like to remain a part of your life."

"I'm not totally gay," Dash mumbled numbly. Was this really happening right now? His mother was beside him suddenly, rubbing his arm in that comforting way she always did when he was upset. "I mean, I still like girls too. But why aren't you more angry about this? Do you know how much I've freaked out about you finding out? I thought you'd kick me out or something!"

"Dash, sweetie," his mother said kindly, pulling him into a sort of hug. "We'll always love you. And that Danny kid is really sweet." She smiled reassuringly and squeezed her arms around his shoulders. "You should go for it with him."

"I can't believe this is happening right now." Dash raked a hand through his hair. His parents were okay with his sexuality? His mother was actually encouraging his relationship with Fenton? It was all too much happening in one night.

"Like I said, I don't exactly approve of this attraction to other guys you have," his father said, frowning severely. "But you're my son, and I love you. If this is really how you choose to live your life, I won't stand in your way. But," he held up a finger, "you are not to bring boys home and sleep with them under this roof. That's my only rule."

Dash's face exploded, crimson from ear to ear. "I can't even tell him that I like him! We certainly won't be having sex any time soon."

"Good. Then there's nothing I need to worry about." His father turned and returned to the front room to finish watching the news.

"How is he totally okay with this?" Dash asked his mother as he pointed after his father. "He's always be so, well, homophobic in the past."

His mother patted him on the shoulder. "I had a talk with him ages ago." She laughed, a tingling sound, when Dash gawked at her in utter surprise. "I always had a suspicion that you might be," she shrugged. "You and Kwan were always at the hip close to each other. I always thought you were trying keep your true relationship with him secret."

"I so can't have this conversation with you." Dash buried his face in his hands, feeling the heat of his blush increasing. It was simply too weird talking to his mother about the fact that he liked men. He didn't know how his mother ever talked his father around into accepting this side of him, but he was thankful for it. He didn't know what he would do if his parents disowned him for being bisexual.

"Dash," his mother pulled his hands away from his face, "you should try telling Danny how you feel. He seems like a really great guy, and you always look so happy with him when you're in the kitchen studying. That look you get when you look at him, I've never seen you give anyone else that look. And," she leaned in close with a tiny grin, "I never did like Paulina."

"I don't think I ever liked her either," Dash whispered back, and they shared a smile. He drew her into a tight hug. "Thanks for, you know, bringing Dad around."

His mother stood on her tip toes to reach his height and placed a kiss as close to the top of his forehead as she could. Then she pulled out of his arms and went to join her husband in front of the television. With a shake of his head, Dash jogged upstairs to his bedroom. He dropped onto his bed, and Bruno climbed onto the bed to join him.

"Are you going to tell me to go for it with Fenton too?" Dash asked, rubbing Bruno's ears. His dog barked once, his tail wagging happily. "I suppose that's answer enough for me." He laughed and leaned forward to scratch all along Bruno's back.


	11. Chapter 11

He didn't remember Sunday at all. Vaguely, he thought he might have crawled out of a bed to eat and shower and perform other necessary bodily functions. But beyond that, he didn't think he spent much time out of his bed. There were dreams. That much he remembered during the long stretches of darkness interspersed with quick flashes of images that he couldn't recall. When he tried to cling to the images in his mind, they flickered away, dancing into the darkness.

He knew it was dream. It was the only explanation for why he was in Dash's room again, in Dash's bed. The jock was present too, and Danny couldn't even remember the events of the dream that led up to this point. Maybe it simply started this way, just another quick flash that would fade out before he could understand what was happening. Dash was under him, his eyes half lidded and mouth slightly parted. His chest rose with each deep intake of breath, and he shuddered when Danny rolled his hips against him in an excruciatingly slow movement.

It was impossible for this to be anything but a dream. Dash would never lift his gaze up to him and have that heated look of desire that seemed to pull Danny in, losing himself into the rich blue color of his eyes. Danny leaned down, seizing the jock's mouth. He grinned at the soft moan the kiss drew from the man. He wished this real, wished he could have Dash like this. The jock showed great change ever since the night of that ghost attack. He was nicer and he cared. But how could Dash ever care about him like this?

Hands ran up his sides, over his chest, to his neck. Danny pulled back from the kiss, hoping this dream wouldn't disappear as quickly as all the other ones before it. His eyes opened, and he stared down at Dash. Panic surged through him when he met eyes that were as red as blood. A cruel smirk cut across the man's face, a man that no longer looked like Dash but Danny was too terrified to want to name him. The hands tightened, squeezing painfully around his throat. Gasping, Danny tried to phase through the hold, but he couldn't. He couldn't tear the hands free from his throat either.

Danny shot up in his bed, fighting against his blankets to break free. He panted for breath as he tumbled off the bed, landing with a hard thud on the floor. His heart hammered in his chest in the after effects of the dream turned nightmare. He ran his hands over his sweat covered face and tried to calm down. What was with that dream? It almost felt real. He rubbed at his throat, still able to feel the pressure of the hands choking the life out of him.

After several moments to regain his ability to breathe like a normal person, Danny climbed to his feet. Even though he slept through virtually all of the previous day, he still felt horribly exhausted. "I hope Dash doesn't kill for not getting anything done yesterday," he mumbled on his way to his closet. He couldn't remember a whole lot about what happened after he got in Dash's car to drive home Saturday and prayed he didn't say or do anything to make himself look even more pathetic in the jock's eyes. He sighed, shoulders slumping in depression as he reached for the doorknob.

His hand passed right through the metal knob. With a frown, Danny tried to open the door again, but his hand phased through the knob again. "Stupid powers," he grumbled, focusing all his concentration on turning his hand tangible. After several attempts, he finally managed to grab hold of the doorknob and twist it open. He sighed with relief. He couldn't remember the last time he had such trouble with his powers.

His gaze barely flickered to the mirror hanging on the inside of the door as he searched for clean clothes. He reached for a pair of jeans but snapped his head back around to the mirror. His eyes shot wide open when he saw the dark marks like hand prints around his throat. He scrunched his eyes shut and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. When he opened them again, his neck was clear of any bruising. His fingers tentatively touched his neck like he expected the bruising to suddenly reappear.

"I'm just freaking out because of that dream," he told himself, hoping that was the truth. With a shake of his head and deep breath, Danny grabbed some clean clothes and quickly got dressed. Whatever he caught on Saturday must have purged itself from him during his long sleep on Sunday because he was feeling a lot better. He grabbed his bag from where he dumped it before collapsing into bed on Saturday.

_Did I get everything for today finished?_ he wondered as he jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen. He grabbed a quick breakfast of stale bread and a banana, not really in a very hungry mood that morning. Bangs and clatters were heard from the laboratory in the basement, and Danny knew his parents were far too busy with their last ghost invention to even notice if he was still passed out in bed. As soon as he was finished wolfing down his meager breakfast, he headed for the front door. He froze before he could step out, blinking dumbly. Dash stood on the front step with his hand raised and poised for knocking.

"What are you doing here?" Danny couldn't think of anything else to say at that moment. After that first time that Dash drove him to school, the only rides he got were from school to Dash's house then home after they finished studying for the night. He still relied on the bus when it came to heading to school. Unless he woke up late. Then he would fly to school.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right," Dash admitted, lowering his hand. "You looked pretty bad on Saturday. I wasn't sure if you would be in class today."

"I can't really miss any more days. And I'm feel a lot better." Danny pulled the door closed behind him. He tugged on the strap of his bag as he followed Dash toward his car. Arguing with the jock was pointless. Even if Danny told him it was completely unnecessary to drive him to school, Dash would ignore him and force him to get into the car with him anyway.

Kwan greeted Danny with a friendly smile, sitting happily in the backseat of Dash's car. "Glad to see you're doing better." He leaned forward and patted Danny on the shoulder once he climbed into the passenger's seat.

"Yeah," Danny mumbled, picking at his jeans. "I guess you all just overheated my brain with all this studying." He glanced at Dash, his cheeks warming as the memory of his dream drifted back into his mind. Chewing on his lower lip, he wondered what it was like to kiss the jock. The whole ride to school was an internal struggle as he tried not to think back on the dream about Dash or the way it twisted into some weird nightmare. He felt like the person trying to strangle him looked familiar, but he couldn't place the person's face now, only remembering those red eyes and that smirk that sent a chill down his spine.

When they reached school, Danny eagerly got out of the car. "See you after school, Kwan." He waved to the jock before he hurried off toward the entrance of Casper High. It was still weird to speak to them like they were old friends, and he absently wondered if any of the jocks even saw him as a friend. _Probably not_ , he decided, shaking his head. He was simply the loser Dash dragged to tutoring sessions. His shoulders drooped all the more at that thought as he walked down the hallways toward his locker. Reaching it, Danny tentatively poked a finger at the locker, testing to see if the hand was still tangible. When it didn't slip right through the metal, he sighed and opened the locker to grab his books.

"Danny," Sam growled angrily behind him.

Danny winced. He forgot all about the conversation he had with her on Saturday, and the way he hung up on her. "Sam," he greeted with a weak laugh as he turned around, closing the locker again.

"We tried calling you yesterday," Tucker said with a worried frown. "Did you get dragged to another tutor session? You've been spending an awful lot of time with Dash. I'm beginning to feel like you're replacing me."

"I'm not replacing you." Danny patted Tucker on his shoulder. "We're best buds forever." He grinned, knowing it probably looked a little dorky. "This is all just some weird outreach or something. You know, like he'll get extra credit or something if he helps the pathetic loser who's too stupid to succeed in school on his own." He didn't really believe that, but he figured that was what his friends wanted to hear, or at least that it would be more believable than anything else.

Sam folded her arms, and her frowned looked darker than ever. "I still feel like you're hiding stuff from us."

"What would I be hiding?" Danny swallowed and hoped Sam didn't realize his feelings for Dash. "Didn't we go over this on Saturday?"

"Did I miss something?" Tucker glanced between his two friends with that lost look of being out of the loop.

"I think you have feelings for him," Sam accused as she jabbed a finger at Danny's chest. She quickly snapped it back, all of them paling. And not because of her words. Sam's whole hand shot right through his chest with that action, and panic wrapped around them like a blanket. They all shot quick glances around the hallway, but no one seemed to notice what happened.

"Okay. That was weird," Danny mumbled. He carefully patted his chest, slowly so that if his hand sank through his chest, it wouldn't be noticeable. Like that morning, he had to concentrate for a moment to make his chest solid again. "I don't know why I'm losing control of my powers like that. Maybe it's just because I was sick yesterday."

"You were sick?" Tucker asked, looking all the more worried while Sam pursed her mouth in frustration.

"Well, I started feeling sick Saturday and was pretty dead yesterday, but I seem to be better today. It was probably just a twenty-four bug or something." Danny shrugged it off.

"Can we go back to what we were discussing before?" Sam demanded, heavy booted foot tapping impatiently on the floor.

"What? About your insane notion that Danny likes Dash?" Tucker laughed so hard that he tears sprang to his eyes. Danny made a weak attempt to laugh along as his insides twisted uncomfortably.

"It's not _that_ insane." Sam scowled at Tucker then snapped her head around to Danny so quickly that he went briefly invisible from fright. "You defend Dash like he's the greatest person in the world. You blow us," she pointed between Tucker and herself, "off to hang out with him. You actually agree to study with him when you refuse all the times we've offered to help you with your homework."

"Yeah, because that all worked out so well before," Danny snapped suddenly, and Sam jumped at his tone. "I didn't exactly do all that great when you were both trying to help me study in freshmen year. Sure, the ghosts attacking every week didn't exactly help, but you weren't the greatest study buddies. I would have been better off running to Jazz for help."

"We were trying to help!" Sam shouted.

Tucker stepped back, not wanting to get in the middle of this fight. He glanced around nervously as other students in the hallway stopped to witness the argument between the two friends.

"And it wasn't working." Danny raked a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "I appreciate that you have been trying to help me. I really do. But I wasn't getting anywhere that way. This thing with Dash and his friends. For some reason, this seems to be working. I'm getting all my work done. I might actually remember enough to do well on my finals. I could actually pull my grades up enough so that I can graduate with you. Why do you want me to throw that all away just because Dash found a way to help me instead of you?"

"Because I still like you." Sam's eyes were hard as she glared at him.

Danny's mouth hung open, his brain blanking on how to respond. "But I don't feel that way anymore," he mumbled as he averted his gaze. "We already agreed that we would just be friends."

Sam didn't say anything more before she turned down the hallway and stormed away. Danny felt miserable. But what else could he say? Sam was one who never wanted anything to happen between them. Then he started having feelings for Dash, and whatever he thought he felt for Sam disappeared. He couldn't see her as anything but a friend now.

Danny's gaze found Tucker. "Do you think I'm a jerk?"

Tucker shrugged and shook his head. "She's the one that missed her chance." He frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "So the Dash thing?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I'm thinking no." Tucker pulled a face, and Danny wondered if his friend was trying to imagine Dash together with him. "I think that's an ew."

"Let's just head to class." Danny pushed Tucker down the hallway. They parted ways to enter their different classes. Danny sighed as he dropped into the open seat next to Dash, already wishing the day was over. He nearly jumped when a hand slapped a paper down on his desk.

"Pop quiz," the teacher announced with an almost cruel smirk before he continued down the row of desks to pass out the quiz. "You'll have until the end of class to finish."

Danny groaned as he pulled out a pencil. He was _not_ prepared for a quiz first thing in the morning. Feeling a bump to his shoulder, Danny glanced over to see Dash give him a thumbs up. He tried to smile, but he didn't feel all that confident right now, even if Dash believed in him.

Their teacher walked back to the front of the classroom. "You may begin."

Danny scribbled his name at the top of the paper as he leaned over his desk. He was surprised that the first three answers came easily to him. A grin slipped onto his face as he read over the next question. _Maybe I can do this_ , he thought and filled in the next answer. It was the first time in what seemed like forever that he almost believed he could pass.

His hand moved down the paper to the next question as he closed his eyes. Warm air seemed to blanket around him like a thick cloud. When he opened his eyes, the words on the paper blurred. Trying to focus on the words only made his head start to pound. The pencil slipped through his hand, but he wasn't sure if he dropped it or if his hand suddenly went intangible. _I was fine just a moment ago_. His eyes clamped shut as the clatter of his pencil rolling off the desk and onto the floor echoed loudly in his head. He rubbed at his forehead and tried to push past the pain.

_Splash!_

Danny's eyes snapped open, and he stared at the red spot on his paper. His mind couldn't make the connection between the sound and the spot. Then something hot slid down from his nose and clung to his upper lip for a brief moment before spilling over and onto the paper. He stared at the second bloody spot. Realization slowly wiggled through the fog of his mind. His nose was bleeding! Danny shot out of his seat, ignoring his teacher's shout to remain seated. The movement wasn't the wisest idea. The room spun dizzily before his eyes, his head pounding even worse. The heat was unbearable. The world tilted as his legs buckled under him.


	12. Chapter 12

"You know, I think he might actually be warming up to you," Kwan said as he hopped out of the backseat of the car.

"Shut up," Dash grumbled at the teasing note in his friend's voice. He walked with Kwan toward the entrance of the school. His thoughts were still filled by Fenton, concerned for the man. Every day, he saw more and more white hairs appearing in the raven hair, and still no one else seemed to notice it. Not even Fenton seemed to take notice of the change.

Dash was surprised when he spotted three of his teammates loitering by his locker. He sighed, not even wanting to think about what this meeting was for.

"Paulina is a horrible bitch," Zane blurted out as Dash opened his locker.

"What has she done now?" Kwan sighed in annoyance.

Jordan punched Dash in the shoulder. "Why didn't you just tell us?"

"I don't know why we didn't see it sooner," Peter said, shaking his head. "I mean when you think of how protective you get over Fenton, it's totally obvious."

"You're just saying that to look smart." Zane shoved him.

"You're all just blind," Kwan said with a roll of his eyes.

Dash resisted the urge to bang his head into his locker. Of course Paulina would immediately go around spreading rumors about his feelings for Fenton. What would happen if Fenton heard those rumors? Would he think they were a joke? Or would he believe them and be too freaked out to continue with the tutoring?

"Oh, and you're so smart?" Jordan lifted an eyebrow at Kwan. "How long have you known then?"

"The past three years," Kwan returned smugly, seeming to take too much enjoyment in the fact that he was first to realize Dash's feelings for Fenton.

"Seriously?" The other three jocks gaped at Dash. "You can ask girls out left and right," Zane said. "But you choke when it comes to Fenton?"

"We weren't exactly on the best terms back then," Dash reminded, glaring at his friends. "I didn't want to freak him out. It's not like I've give him a lot of reasons to like me." He eyed the three men warily. "How badly has this news been spread?"

"Not sure." Jordan shrugged. "We all heard directly from Paulina, so the rest of the team probably knows. I think she's trying to keep it to the A crowd in an attempt to cut you out." He rolled his eyes. "Like we're going to just drop you as a friend because of that. Please. We really don't care who you like."

"Gee, I'm touched." Dash shook his head, but he was glad his true friends didn't care about things like his crush on Fenton.

"And hey, if you ever want us to quietly depart so you can have some alone time with Fenton, just let us know," Peter said with a knowing grin.

"You're all going to tease me mercilessly right under his nose next time, aren't you?" Dash sighed when they all nodded. As much as he loved his friends, he sometimes really wanted to hate them. "You're all evil, and I'm going to class now." He left his friends grinning like fiends as he headed down the hallway to his first class.

He huffed out a sigh. If Paulina was only interested in turning the A crowd against him, then maybe he didn't need to worry about his crush on Fenton spreading all over school. This was a matter within their group, and those kinds of matters tended to stay only within their group. It was some weird social rule that existed among the A crowd, and Dash never fully appreciated it until now. Even with the teasing that was sure to come, he was glad that Jordan, Zane and Peter were still on his side. He knew Paulina would wrap several others from the A crowd around her finger by exposing his crush, but he didn't care about those people. If they hated him because of his sexuality, then they weren't worth his time.

Dash collapsed into a seat when he reached his first class. Fenton turned up moments later to take the seat next to him. When he heard the sigh, Dash frowned at the other man. He was about to ask if everything was all right when their teacher appeared, passing out papers. At the announcement of a pop quiz, every student in the classroom released a groan.

Dash reached over and bumped a fist against Fenton's shoulder. When the man looked at him, Dash gave him an encouraging thumbs up. The smile that Fenton gave him was pathetic and weak, and Dash could see the utter lack of confidence on his face. His hand tightened around his pencil to the point of nearly snapping it in half. Dash wanted to tell Fenton he could ace this quiz easily, but the teacher already told them to begin. He didn't want to get them both in trouble for talking during the quiz. With a sigh, he turned to his own quiz. It wasn't a difficult quiz, and he was certain Fenton would remember all the answers to the questions.

He shot a quick glance toward Fenton to check on how he was doing. He hoped the man wouldn't be panicking. But what he saw made _him_ panic. Dash jumped to his feet as Fenton suddenly stood.

"Fenton, Baxter, take your-" shouted their teacher, but he stopped short as Fenton started to collapse. Dash caught him around the waist, supporting the man. His body radiated with heat that Dash could feel even through their layers of clothing. The rest of the class stared, but it wasn't simply because Dash was first to leap to Fenton's help. Blood dripped from Fenton's nose, spilling down to stain the white shirt he wore.

Fear seized him and made his heart quicken. Something was seriously not right with Fenton. This was definitely more than the simple bug Dash thought he caught on Saturday. "Permission to go to the nurse's office?" he asked the teacher.

When he received a nod from the stunned man, Dash wrapped Fenton's arm around his shoulders and helped him out the door. Fenton's feet dragged with each step, and Dash shifted his hold on the man to better support him as they walked. Once they were in the hallway, he felt free to speak.

"If you weren't feeling better you should have stayed at home. They would have understood if you were this sick."

"But I was feeling better," Fenton argued, though he hardly sounded convincing. "I only started feeling bad when we started the quiz." He touched a hand under his nose then stared at the blood staining his fingers. His face turned a sickly color. "Bathroom!"

Dash didn't need to ask. He directed Fenton toward the nearest bathroom. Fenton scrambled immediately to one of the stalls, and Dash cringed at the sound of the man vomiting into the toilet. "Fenton," he started but wasn't sure what to say. He was worried, very worried, about the man. It wasn't only the feverish heat of his body or the bloody nose or the vomiting that concerned him. A strange zigzag of white hair appeared on the sides of Fenton's head, and he was certain that wasn't normal.

"I - I think I'm done," Fenton mumbled from within the stall. After the toilet flushed, he stumbled out, and Dash moved to help him stay on his feet. "I don't know what's wrong with me." He rubbed at his head, squeezing his eyes shut like he was fighting off a headache.

Dash really wished he could tell Fenton what was wrong, but even he was stumped. They left the bathroom and started down the hallway toward the nurse's office again. "Probably just a simple bug. A few days of bed rest and you'll be fine." He tried to be encouraging, but Fenton's condition sent waves of a panic through him.

"You're being weird," Fenton mumbled, his voice fading like he was sleep talking. "You're not supposed to be nice."

Dash grunted when Fenton's sudden dead weight tried to drag him to the ground. He shifted his hold and froze. His eyes widened as he stared at the arm dangling at Fenton's side. It didn't seem special, just an arm and nothing more. But Dash swore the arm passed right through his body. He could still feel the tingling sensation of it passing through like-

Dash nearly dropped Fenton's body on the ground but managed to reign in that fear. Tentatively, he reached out to wrap his hand around Fenton's arm. His breath caught when his hand went right through it like the arm was a mere hologram. His mouth snapped shut, though he didn't even realize it was hanging open to begin with, and he swallowed thickly. What was happening to Fenton? He lifted the man into his arms to carry him to the nurse's office.

He couldn't think of what else to do. Maybe the nurse wasn't the best plan with all the strange things happening to Fenton. But who else in the school could Dash turn to for help? Fenton's friends, but they were in class. Dash didn't think that would be a wise choice. Their teachers would only ask questions, and Dash was pretty sure if Foley and Manson knew what was going on with Fenton, they wouldn't tell him anything.

When Dash entered the office, the nurse rushed over to him. "What happened?" she asked, pressing a hand to Fenton's sweaty forehead. Even without a thermometer, she would know he was burning up. She instructed him to lay Fenton on the bed set up in her office.

"He just passed out," Dash explained as he rested Fenton carefully on the bed. "His nose started bleeding, and he felt hot, and he vomited, then just passed out."

"I'll call his parents," the nurse said, frowning as she brushed a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. "But they'll probably want to take him to the hospital." She turned away and walked to her desk to make the phone call.

Dash crouched down beside the bed. He placed a hand on Fenton's arm, and relief washed over him when he felt solid flesh this time. Chewing on his lip, Dash leaned in closer. "Danny," he whispered softly.

Brow furrowed, Fenton's head turned to him, and his eyes cracked part way open. Dash couldn't breathe when those glowing green eyes met his gaze. He almost fell back in shock. When Dash shifted away, Fenton's hand caught his wrist, holding on tightly. Dash almost thought he saw fear in those unusual eyes.

"You're going to be fine, Danny," Dash assured him, wishing he could believe that. But he was scared. The thoughts running rampant through his mind scared him. But somehow, his words seemed to comfort the man. A smile flitted across his face as the brilliant blue returned to his eyes.

"His parents are on their way," the nurse announced. "You can head back to class now."

Dash wanted to argue, but Fenton was already slipping away again. His hand let go of his wrist and dropped back onto the bed. Dash repeated in his mind that Fenton would be all right as he stood. Leaving the office, he scratched a hand through his hair. The white hair? The intangible limbs? Those green eyes? Dash was a little freaked out. He flashed back to that time when he was Fenton's fitness buddy. At that time, being shrunk and chased by some crazy ghost freak, he didn't have a lot of time to think about it clearly. Looking back on it now, though, he wondered why he didn't notice it sooner. All those "costume changes" that the ghost went through made sense with his diminishing power.

Dash rubbed his hands over his face. Fenton was _Phantom_? How was that even possible? He stopped walking as he remembered every terrible thing he did to Fenton. He imagined Phantom in his place and felt ever worse about his past actions. For someone that he considered his hero, Dash treated him like crap. But he didn't know they were the same person! And seriously, how did Fenton have those freaky ghost powers?

_So then the reason he was in my backyard_ , Dash thought as the gears ground in his brain. _That was because he was fighting a ghost?_ That would explain the man's sudden appearance that night. But what was happening to Fenton now? Was that because of his ghost powers, like some strange unknown side effect? Or did a ghost do something to him? Should he try talking to Fenton about it? Or go to Fenton's friends? If they learned that he figured it out, they would all probably panic. Dash didn't plan to go around telling anyone about Fenton, but he doubted they would trust him with this secret. _Fenton has to be okay_ , he thought as he walked back to class.


	13. Chapter 13

"Danny."

His mouth spread wide as a grin tugged across his face. It was strange hearing his name in Dash's voice when Phantom didn't immediately follow it. He was always Fenton to the jock. But ignoring the weirdness of it, it was wonderful, and he wanted Dash to call his name again.

Danny lifted his eyes and met with those dark blue eyes that made his heart skip. Warm breath mingled in the small space between their face. It washed over his face, his parted lips. He took a deep breath as he leaned into the man, their chests pressed flushed against each other. Their lips barely touched. It was a game between them in that moment, seeing how close they could get to one another before one of them broke, driven by the building lust. Their eyes remained locked, searching the other for a sign, any sign really. Danny wasn't really sure anymore. All he knew was that he so badly wanted to kiss Dash.

"Danny."

It was whispered and soft but carried so many feelings that Danny couldn't even think to name. He groaned at the sound of Dash's voice, and it was too much. He couldn't hold back any longer. His head rushed forward, and his lips crushed against Dash's, which he felt smile into the kiss. It was a hard kiss, and he thought he felt his teeth bite into his lip. But as their mouths worked together, it warmed into something softer, something better.

Hands grabbed hold of his hips and tugged him, if possible, even closer. His mouth parted, and he sucked on Dash's lower lip. He ran his tongue over, begging for entrance that was willingly given to him. His tongue licked over the roof of Dash's mouth, and he relished in the moan it drew from the other man. He explored every inch of Dash's mouth that he could reach, and when Dash decided to return the favor, the kiss only got better.

His lungs were burning for air by the time he pulled out of the kiss. Their lips still touched as their breaths came out in heavy pants. Danny fisted his hand into blond hair and gave a sharp yank on it, forcing Dash to tilt his head back. He nipped at Dash chin before leaving kisses down his throat, running his teeth over the Adam's apple. He buried his head into the crook of Dash's neck and breathed in his scent, like leather and sweat and grass, like hot days in the sun.

His mouth latched onto that part where the shoulder met the neck. He sucked on it, grazed his teeth over the tender flesh while listening to Dash's heavy breathing. His teeth pressed into that spot, not too hard. Then he licked Dash's flesh, tasting the saltiness of his skin, tracing the soft indents his teeth left with his tongue. He repeated his actions, teasing that one spot as Dash gasped and moaned at the ministrations. When he bit down the next time, it was hard enough to break skin. Warm blood filled his mouth, and when Dash screamed, Danny bit down harder.

"That won't be enough to satisfy you."

At the sound of the voice, Danny released his hold on Dash and shot away from him quickly. The metallic taste of blood remained in his mouth, making his stomach turn in sickness. What just came over him? He didn't know, but it scared him.

"Now, this," a hand suddenly shot through Dash's chest, heart gripped tightly in its grasp, "is much more satisfying."

Danny couldn't breathe. "What?" he gasped as the beat of his heart thundered in his ears.

The world shifted around him, and suddenly he was staring over Dash's shoulder at himself with blood staining his lips and dripping off his chin. Danny jerked backwards, yanking his arm free. Dash's body collapsed onto the ground, dark blood pooling around him. Watching the mad grin that spread over his own face terrified him. Blue eyes changed to red as the other him lifted his gaze from the prone body.

"The power is magnificent, isn't it?" asked the him with red eyes.

Then he felt the pulse within his hand. Danny dropped horrified eyes to the heart beating ever slower in his hand. Once, twice, then it was nothing more than a dead organ. He let the heart drop with a scream ripping from his throat.

Danny woke much like that morning, gasping for breath as he shot up on the bed. His surroundings looked foreign at first, but his mind was filled too much with that terrible nightmare to care where he was. Why would he dream about something like that? He clamped his eyes shut and tried to slow his racing heart, but when he did, he only saw images from the nightmare flashing through his head.

He gasped out as a cold chill ran through him. Why did a ghost have to attack right now? Danny climbed off the bed, and now that he looked around, he recognized the nurse's office.

"You're parents are already on their way here," the nurse announce, alerting Danny to the fact that he wasn't alone in the room. "You should just rest until they get here."

"Um, bathroom," Danny mumbled the first thing he could think of. He couldn't stay in here with the nurse if a ghost was attacking. He wouldn't be able to use his powers in front of her.

"Oh, well, hurry back when you're done."

Danny gave a quick nod that made his head hurt only a little as he rushed out of the room. His legs felt wobbly under him, but the dizzying heat from earlier was mostly gone. Class was still in session, and Danny was glad for that. He didn't want to fight his way through a crowded hall to find a place to hide so that he could change into his ghost form. He followed his sense down the hallway, searching for the ghost.

The attack surprised him. Danny twisted around, the sudden movement making the world a blur of colors as he faced the oncoming attack. He managed to erect a feeble shield, but the attack broke through it. Thrown back, he slammed into the lockers behind him. His back phased halfway through the locker door. A queasy feeling settled in his stomach.

Danny got back to his feet quickly. "I'm ready for you this time," he muttered, glaring darkly at the ghost that attacked him. It was that same ghost with the snobby air about him, the one that hit him with the arrow attack. He could feel his eyes shifting to green like they usually did when he was angry and tapped into his ghost powers by accident. But the moment the change occurred, pain seared through his brain. He clapped his hands over his eyes, pressing against them as his head felt like it would split open from the agony.

The ghost actually laughed at Danny's pain. "You're progressing much slower than I anticipated," he announced.

Danny pulled his hands away to throw a confused look at the ghost. "What do you mean?"

A finger pointed right at his forehead, mere inches away from touch him. Energy sparked from the tip. "I'm looking forward to what happens to you. I've never had the pleasure of trying that attack on a half ghost before." A cruel grin curled across the ghost's face.

Danny couldn't react. The energy ball was growing right before his eyes at the end of one long finger, but his body wouldn't move. His heart, which was beating wildly not long ago, seemed to have stopped, and his breath was lodge somewhere in his throat, choking him as he stared dumbly at the ghost. The blast was coming, and he knew it would hurt like nothing else before it.

A shot of pink darted past his eyes. It took him a while to realize what happened. When he heard a curse, Danny slowly rotated his head to see Vlad stalking toward him. He glanced around the hallway, but the ghost was gone. Searching with his ghost sense, he didn't feel the lingering presence of the ghost anywhere within the school.

"The nurse was supposed to make sure you stayed in bed until I came to get you," Vlad said as he loomed over him, looking rather unhappy with the nurse's failure.

"There was a ghost," Danny argued weakly. He didn't actually do much in the way of fighting against the ghost. The whole encounter left him feeling rather pathetic. "What are you doing here, Vlad?" He sneered at the older man, and his eyes narrowed. The only reason he could think of to explain the other half ghost's present was some new plot to rip his family apart. If that was the case, Danny needed to be ready to fight him, though he was feeling less than up to the task at that moment.

"To pick you up," Vlad explain like it should be obvious. "I came for a visit, and since you're parents are practically obsessed with their latest invention, I took it upon myself to come here to get you after the call from the nurse came."

Danny almost thought he heard some real concern in Vlad's voice, like he actually cared for Danny's well being. But of course, that had to be an act. "I'm surprised you didn't tell my dad to come so you could try to woo my mom away from him," he muttered. "Again." His hands balled at his side, ready to fight back if Vlad tried anything.

"Still so small minded, Daniel." Vlad returned the sneer. "I didn't come all this way for such a worthless reason. Did you think I wouldn't concern myself with this matter when I hear you collapsed in school?" He took hold of Danny's face and tilted his head upward. Danny nearly threw a punch, but Vlad wasn't actually attacking him in any way. "A bloody nose?" An eyebrow lifted with curiosity. His eyes went to Danny's hair next, and he frowned with something that look very close to worry. "I'll want to know what happened to you, but this is hardly the place to discuss it."

"Probably a good idea," Danny mumbled, not liking the idea of starting that conversation, especially when the other students of Casper High would probably be coming out of class soon to fill the hallways. He started to follow Vlad down the hallway and swayed on his feet. The older half ghost immediately supported him, looped an arm around him. "I think I might be a little sick." The nauseous feeling in his stomach didn't leave yet, and movement seemed to only aggravate the sensation.

"Vomit, and I'll drop you," Vlad threatened evenly.

Danny swallowed back the bile that tried to rise up the back of his throat. His face contorted in disgust at that taste. He didn't miss Vlad's smirk. Even as an enemy, Vlad managed to have some control over Danny and make him follow his orders. The fact didn't make Danny feel any better. He allowed Vlad to help him down the hallway to the exit of the school then out to his waiting car.

Once he had Danny strapped into the passenger's seat, Vlad walked around the car and climbed into the driver's seat. "You can't vomit in here either," he said when he noticed the green tinge on the man's face.

Danny leaned back into the seat, tilting his head upward. His body still felt a little warm, though not nearly as warm as when he was in class. He held his arms wrapped around his stomach. The car ride home wasn't helping with the sick feeling, and he kept swallowing back the bile seeking a way out through his mouth. Vlad kept throwing a glance his way, and Danny glared back whenever he caught the man doing it. That unusual but annoying concern was in Vlad's eyes. Danny wondered what game the man was playing this time.

Once they reached Fenton Works, Vlad helped Danny into the house. Danny hurried immediately to the bathroom to finally relieve himself of the sickness that built up the whole way home. He made it in time to vomit into the toilet. When they heard the front door open and close, his parents broke away from their project and came out of their laboratory to check on him. Maddie gasped when she spotted her son bent over the toilet.

"Danny! Are you all right?" Maddie knelt beside her son to feel his forehead.

"I think it's just a bit of a stomach flu or something else going around," Vlad explained in a rather indifferent tone, much different from the way he was acting earlier. "A little rest, and he should be fine."

"Danny, do you want me to make you a bowl of chicken noodle soup?" Maddie brushed back the bangs of her son's hair. Danny gave a little nod, lowering his head to rest on his arm, though he didn't think he would be able to keep it down right now. "Jack, why don't you carry him up to his room?" She then disappeared into the kitchen.

Jack nodded as he lifted his son into his arms. Danny mumbled something, but it was too incoherent for the adults to understand. Exhaustion was coming over him again, and though he tried to cling to consciousness, he was out before his father laid him in his bed to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Dash dumped the two book bags into his backseat before he climbed into the driver's seat. He sighed tiredly as he stared at the steering wheel. Football season was over for the year, and he would be graduating soon, which made him happy after the way he was treated by the rest of the team. He wouldn't put it past his other teammates to try injuring him during practice, "accidentally" of course, to bench him for the season if he had another year here. Calvin Williams looked like he was waiting for the perfect moment to try beating the crap out of him. The man alone didn't scare Dash. He was a bit smaller in size, and Dash definitely had the upper hand in strength and skill. But Calvin had a following, and Dash didn't want to be caught alone with eight men all looking to crush him into the ground.

Dash shook his head as he started his car. Thankfully, none of them thought to trash his car. Yet. And he was glad Fenton was out of school for the day. He wouldn't put it past Calvin to go after Fenton, who would be an easier target to take on alone. _If only he knew who Fenton really was_ , Dash thought with an amused curve of his lips. Fenton could have escaped all of his bullying easily with those ghost powers. But the amusement fell as he frowned, thinking of all the terrible things that Fenton allowed him to do to him.

Why would Fenton let him do those things if he could fight back? Obviously there was the risk of exposing his secret to the world, but he kept it well hidden so far. Dash thought Fenton probably could have figured a way to use them without exposing himself to escape bullying. Maybe it had something to do with not abusing his powers. Simply because Fenton had the ability to do something, it didn't mean he had to. That was a lesson Dash didn't learn easily. He had the strength and power to beat up losers and nerds, so he did it. Only later he realized that being a bully was a wasted effort, and he wanted to break that image even more after he finally allowed himself to admit his feelings for Fenton. He didn't want to be a bully in Fenton's eyes.

Fenton was Phantom. The thought flickered through his mind more than a hundred times during the course of the day. It was still hard to digest, even knowing the truth and seeing how much sense it made. He still wanted to know exactly how Fenton ended up that way, but he couldn't figure out the answer on his own. Fenton's parents came to mind. They were the resident ghost nuts and always inventing stuff. A sickening thought passed through his mind. What if his parents did it to him? What if his parents turned him into Danny Phantom? It was terrible idea that he wanted to banish from his mind, but it lingered.

Then he remembered Fenton's parents fighting against Phantom. Why would they fight against their own son? They acted like they didn't even recognize Fenton when he was fighting ghosts as Phantom. _They don't know!_ The realization hit him as he parked his car. It made obvious sense, but it only occurred to him right then. Fenton was keeping this huge secret from his parents. The sick feeling returned as he stared at the big Fenton Works sign bolted to the side of the house. What if his parents found out about his ghost powers? They were ghost hunters. Would they look past Phantom to see their son? Dash felt a brick drop through him. Somehow, he didn't think they would.

With dread settling over him, Dash grabbed one of the bags off the backseat as he climbed out of the car. He was almost scared to approach the house. But he forced his stiff legs to keep walking until he stood before the front door. After a deep breath, he pounded on it. Several agonizingly long moments later, the door open, and Mrs. Fenton blinked at him.

"Uh, I brought Danny's bag that he left at school," Dash said, trying to keep his usual charming mask in place. He didn't want Fenton's parents thinking that there might be something wrong. "I put a list of the homework we got in class in there too, in case he's feeling up to working on anything." He held the bag up in one hand as he smiled at her.

"I'm so glad Danny has such a thoughtful friend." Mrs. Fenton smiled pleasantly as she took the bag from him. If she suspected anything, she was very good at hiding it. "Unfortunately, he's still feeling a bit under the weather. I really wouldn't want you catching it. I hope you don't mind coming to visit him another time when he's feeling better."

"Of course, ma'am," Dash answered, but fear coiled inside him. He was really hoping to see Fenton, to see that he was all right. He didn't want to leave Fenton here, even though a little voice in his head tried to assure him that Fenton's parents wouldn't do anything bad to him. Lifting his hand, he offered a small wave as he said goodbye. He turned around and walked back to his car, fighting every step of the way not to charge right back up to the house and burst through the door to see Fenton. "He's going to be fine," he mumbled, but it didn't convince him even a little.

When he arrived home, his friends were already there. He saw Jordan's jeep sitting right outside and sighed. Right now he didn't want to think about homework, but he couldn't let his grades slip simply because he was worrying about Fenton. Kwan grabbed a ride with Jordan, leaving a note in Dash's locker to let him know. He even left a big smiley face on it, probably thinking he was giving Dash the chance to have some nice alone time with Fenton on the way home. Dash rolled his eyes as he entered his house. His friends were already gathered in the kitchen, snacking on whatever his mother made them before she disappeared somewhere else the house to give them privacy to study.

"Hey, where's Fenton?" Jordan asked when Dash entered the kitchen alone.

Dash caught the worried frown on Kwan's face. "Not coming," he announced grumpily as he dropped into an open seat. "He went home sick today."

"Aw, man!" Zane said. "I hope he'll be all right."

"Probably just a bug." Dash shrugged like it was no big deal. He pulled out his books to start studying. "He'll be fine after some rest." How many times did he tell himself that now? It didn't help rid him of his growing fear.

With some disgruntled mutterings, they all buckled down to start going over their homework. Dash almost smiled, seeing how upset his friends were about Fenton's absence and their concern about his health. Fenton somehow managed to fit right into their group, and his friends accepted him easily like they were all old friends. His head shook as he thought about old friends. Sometimes, that all felt like a dream.

The time seemed to drag on forever. His concentration wasn't the best, and Zane had to go over some points about their physics homework more than a few times before Dash finally got some understanding of it. His mind kept wandering back to Fenton, wondering if he was all right. Was he feeling better now? Would he be at school tomorrow? Did his parents figure out his secret? If they were keeping him home, then maybe his illness wasn't that serious. But if they knew, maybe his parents had him down in some crazy laboratory preparing to do experiments on him. Dash scrubbed at his face, trying and failing to force that image from his mind.

It was getting dark out by the time Jordan, Zane, and Peter left his house. Dash sat outside, watching Bruno run around the backyard. His gaze found the tree where he found Fenton what now felt like a lifetime ago. He wished he never figured out Fenton's secret. Now he couldn't help feeling worried all the time about the man.

"You're really worried about him, aren't you?" Kwan asked, picking up an old tennis ball that lost most of its fuzzy neon green coloring over the years. He gave it a short toss, and Bruno went racing after it.

"You weren't there," Dash muttered with his eyes still on the tree. "He looked really bad. Blood dripping from his nose, body burning up, vomiting. I think it's more than a simple bug." He snapped his mouth shut to stop from saying more. He trusted Kwan with everything, even feelings he didn't expect anyone to notice. But he couldn't tell Kwan the truth about Fenton. Kwan would keep the secret. He was good at that. But Dash didn't want to burden him with this secret, and it wasn't his to tell. So he kept silent, chewing on his lip.

"If it was something serious, wouldn't they have taken him to the hospital?" Kwan wrestled the ball from Bruno's mouth before he toss it across the yard again.

"Yeah," Dash agreed tiredly. "But it doesn't stop me from worrying."

Kwan sighed as he took a seat next to Dash. He ran a hand through his dark locks, and they stuck up in some spots. "I still think you should just come out and tell him how you feel."

Dash snapped his head around and gawked at his friend. "Yeah, I don't see that going well," he said when he could think of a response. "You saw. He runs away from me at the first opportunity. He's still scared of me."

Kwan gave him a flat look, like he wasn't buying any of Dash's excuses. "I do see. I probably see better than either of you idiots." He rolled his eyes at Dash's glare. "You really don't notice the way he gets all flustered around you. Or when your eyes meet, and his cheeks turn this soft pink and he has to look away again really quickly. I don't think he runs away because he's scared of you. I think it's because he's scared you won't feel the same."

"And I think you see too much that isn't there sometimes." Dash shoved Kwan, who only grinned ridiculously at him. Bruno dropped the tennis ball on the ground at his feet. With a keening whine, he bumped his nose against Dash's chest. "Yeah, yeah," Dash said, rubbing the dog's ears. "I already know you like him too."

"See? Even your dog thinks you should just tell him."

"I don't think telling him while he's suffering through some weird illness is the best time. How will that go? Oh, hey, Fenton! I just wanted to tell you I like you, and then he vomits all over my shoes?" Dash shook his head. "That will go over well." He picked up the tennis ball and tossed it away. Bruno darted off after it. "Do you want me to give you a ride home?"

"No."

"Do I want to ask?"

"No." Kwan gazed out over the yard, refusing to meet his friend's eyes.

" _Now_ you're worrying me." Dash frowned at his friend, who was pointedly ignoring him. He sighed as he leaned back against the side of the house. "Well, I do have some of your clothes still. But this can't keep happening."

"It's not that long until graduation."

"That's not the point, idiot."

"Can we please just not do this?" Kwan buried his head into his knees.

Dash hated seeing his friend like this. It made Kwan look more like a child than an eighteen year old man. "Just stay here then. Don't go back." He put an arm around Kwan, dragging him into a sort of hug. "My parents won't mind having you around. You're like a second son to them anyway."

"I hate being a burden to them." Kwan's voice was soft, and it wavered.

"You are so not a burden. Besides that other bedroom is practically yours anyway. And my mom pretty much thinks you're some perfect little angel."

Kwan managed a laugh. When he lifted his head, his eyes looked a little red. "I'm so making sure you tell Fenton before graduation." He laughed more fully when Dash shoved him.


	15. Chapter 15

"Mom, I'm fine," Danny said, swatting away her hand as she tried to touch his forehead for about the hundredth time that day. "I'm not feeling sick anymore. No nausea. No headaches. I'm not feeling hot. I managed to keep down three bowls of soup. I'm fine." He released an exasperated sigh when his mother didn't look convinced. "If I start feeling sick again, I'll let you know. But can you leave now? I have a bunch of homework that I should get done."

"Oh, of course." Maddie smoothed back his hair, but the black locks simply flopped back into their usual unruly mess. She smiled as she stood and picked up the bowl of soup that Danny recently finished. "I'm really happy you're finally taking your education seriously."

Once she was out of the room, Danny groaned and rubbed at his eyes. He heard her say that more times than he could count ever since Dash first lied about their tutoring session, and he was sick of her doting on what a "nice boy" Dash was. The whole tutoring arrangement was for the best, he knew it, and he was really happy to spend time with Dash, seeing this other side of him that didn't involve insults and fists. Dash and his friends never made him feel like a complete idiot when they were helping with his homework and he didn't understand something. But every time his mother made a point of stating she was proud of him for seeking help, he felt miserable and stupid.

"You can stop hiding," Danny grumbled as he lowered his hands. He shot a glare to his desk. "I know you're there."

"I'd be terribly disappointed if you couldn't sense my presence," Vlad said, dropping his invisible act. "I wasn't exactly hiding myself from you, now was I?"

"Why are you even here, Vlad?" Danny didn't feel like dealing with Vlad after a whole day of his mother, well, mothering him. Wasn't that strange? Usually, his parents were too busy with their latest inventions to notice him. While his mother brought him soup and kept trying to take his temperature, his father came in a few times to see he wanted to be read to - weird, he wasn't five anymore - and offered to sneak up some ice cream for him - rocky road, his favorite. "Shouldn't you be in Wisconsin coming up with some new plan to kill my dad and steal my mom?"

"No, I came because of you," Vlad said, and the seriousness of his tone actually worried Danny.

"Vlad, I don't know what you're-"

"This isn't some sort of plot, Daniel," Vlad snapped, and Danny jumped in surprise. "Do you think I don't keep tabs on you?"

"Well, after that whole clone thing," Danny sneered at the older half ghost, "I wouldn't put it past you. Also, that is the creepiest thing in world. I don't want you watching me like some old pervert."

Vlad was off the desk in a flash, coming to stand in front of Danny. His expression was menacing and dark and touched with concern. "I don't watch you out of some sick pleasure." His voice was hard and cold, and Danny gulped as he stared into the man's eyes. "I do it because I care about you. Even your sister is concerned about your safety while you live in this house. She _begged_ me to ensure your safety, though I would do so without her asking it of me."

Danny stared, unable to find any words for several minutes. "There's no reason you should be worrying about me. I'm fine. And if Jazz is so worried about me, why doesn't she just say something?"

"Because you're a little brat that never listens." Anger burned in Vlad's eyes. "She came to me because she knew I would listen. She doesn't come back here over the summer or for holidays because she can't do it anymore. She can't worry about you constantly and have you push her away and ignore her. I don't blame her for not wanting to come back here after she's finally found some happiness in college."

Stunned, Danny dropped his gaze away from Vlad. "How often do you talk to her?" He rarely heard from his sister unless it was a simple check up to see if he was doing all right. Her e-mails and texts never said much about her life away from home. Danny's shoulders sagged. _I'm a terrible brother_ , he realized. As Vlad said, Danny didn't exactly listen much when Jazz was around. He always thought of her as overbearing. She always tried to butt into his life and treated him like a little kid. He knew she cared about him, but he never thought about how poorly he treated her in return.

Vlad sighed, some of the anger melting away from him. He sat on the bed with a deep frown on his face. "She talks to me at least once a week to update me on her life. She always asks about how you are, because she knows you won't tell her everything." He folded his arms as he stared down his nose at Danny. "I believe there's a discussion we need to have. What exactly is happening?"

Danny leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. "I ran into a ghost not too long ago. I think he was toying with me. He could block all my attacks, and he seemed to know my every move before I made it. He shot me with this weird arrow attack." He lifted his shirt. "It hit me right here." He pointed at the spot where the arrow hit him, careful not to touch it. "It was weird. I felt it pierce me, but then it started to, like, melt into me or something. I couldn't pull it out."

Vlad leaned in close to examined the wrinkled patch of flesh. He reached out and tentatively touched a finger over the spot. Clenching, wrenching pain squeezed at Danny's heart. His hand shot out, and a ball of energy sent Vlad flying into the wall.

"Don't. Touch," Danny growled, chest heaving with heavy breaths. He glowered darkly at the older man. When he noticed the fear in Vlad's eyes, Danny suddenly felt cold inside. "Sorry. I don't know what happened."

Vlad stood, smoothing out his suit. "Clearly that attack has had some effect on you." He observed Danny with some wariness. "Tell me more about this ghost and any strange occurrences since the attack."

Danny took a shaky breath before he started to describe the encounter with the ghost in more detail. He detailed the ghost's appearance to the best of his memory.

"That sounds like the ghost that was attacking you in the hallway."

Danny nodded. "That was the same one." He rubbed at his forehead. "He said I was progressing slower than he expected. And I don't have any idea what he meant by that." He glared when Vlad looked like he was about to ask.

"I assume then that the attack was meant to affect you in some way." Vlad's gaze drifted over the young half ghost's body, and Danny shifted uncomfortably. "You've been feeling sick recently. What symptoms have you experienced?"

"Well, I've been feeling really hot, though it's not all the time. In class, my nose just randomly started bleeding, then I got really dizzy. And the vomiting, as you know." Danny shrugged. Vlad would have been able to guess all that without Danny saying a word. He chewed on his lip, debating telling Vlad another thing he noticed. After some thought, he decided he had no reason to withhold information. If Vlad was here to help him, he would need all the facts. "I've been having some control issues with my powers. It's like when I first got my powers and they would act up. But it took more concentration to turn solid again when part of me turned intangible, and there was this really weird sense of being half here and half not here. I don't know how to describe it."

Vlad's frown grew more as Danny talked. "Then there's the hair thing," he mumbled, holding his chin in his hand.

"Hair thing?" Danny scrambled out of his bed and over to his closet, which remained open. His mouth hung open as he stared at his reflection. "What's wrong with my hair?" He ran his hand through his raven locks, only now noticing the white streaks now running across the sides of his head. He leaned in closer, staring into his eyes. "And my eyes! They're-" He snapped his head around to Vlad, fearing entering his eyes which bled red around the edges of his irises. "What's happening to me?"

"It's going to be okay, Daniel." Vlad placed his hands on Danny's shoulders, but it didn't offer much comfort to the young half ghost. "We'll figure this out."

"But my parents," Danny insisted urgently. "If they notice this, what am I supposed to say? Even they aren't that oblivious. They'll figure out what I am!"

"Luckily, it seems no one else even sees the difference," Vlad said calmly, but Danny could see the worry in his eyes. Danny's condition frightened him. It was something even he wasn't familiar with. "It might be that we can see these changes because of what we are. You had those white hairs ever since I picked you up at school. Your parents gave no hint of noticing the change."

Danny only felt a small margin of relief at that fact. "What happens when they can see it?"

"We'll have to find a solution before that." Vlad took hold of Danny's arm and pulled it out straight between them. "I want to take some samples of your blood in both forms. I need to analyze what these changes are doing to you before I can find a solution. If nothing else, destroying that ghost might be our best bet for stopping this before it progressing to something worse."

"Right. Of course," Danny mumbled his consent. Why argue? Vlad would be the most knowledgeable on half ghosts, and he wasn't the one that did this to Danny. Staring into Vlad's eyes, Danny couldn't ignore the concern he saw. Vlad cared, as strange as it seemed.

Pulling out a pair of syringes, Vlad pierced one needle into the crook of the young half ghost's arm. Danny winced at the slight pinch. Vlad pulled on the plunger, drawing out as much blood as the syringe could hold. When he finished, he pulled out the syringe. "Change." His order was followed quickly, though Danny felt strange once he was in his ghost form. His head felt light, and he thought Vlad's grip on his arm was the only thing keep him from floating. He winced again when the needle pierced his arm in nearly the same place. This time, the second syringe filled with bright green ectoplasm. Removing the needle, Vlad watched him. "How are you feeling?"

"Weird," Danny mumbled and quickly reverted back to human. He rubbed at his head, pressing the heel of his palm into his temple. "It shouldn't feel that way when I go ghost."

The comment only increased the concern that Vlad displayed. "I'll analyze this as quickly as I can. In the mean time, I'll have my associates search for this ghost. It would easier if we knew his name, but I can hardly hold you accountable for not getting it." A tiny ghost of a smirk crossed his face. "I know not all ghosts are eager to shout out their names for the whole world to know. Not like some ghosts we know."

Danny tried to smile, but it fell flat. "They do love shouting out their names and plans, don't they?"

"Try to rest for now." Vlad patted Danny's head in a strange show of affection that Danny wasn't sure what to do with. Whenever Vlad did something like that before, there was always that vibe that he was plotting something evil. Danny didn't get that sense this time, and it left him staring in confusion as Vlad left his bedroom.

"Ugh, I don't need this!" Danny scrubbed his hands over his face. It would be easier if Vlad acted like his archenemy rather than someone who actually cared about him. "Just forget about it for now. I still have to finish all my homework." He grabbed his book bag from where his mother placed it next to his desk. He didn't even remember bringing it home. Sitting down at his desk, he prepared to start on his most pressing homework. When a slip of paper fell onto his desk after getting out some of his textbooks, Danny paused to stare at it. He recognized the handwriting immediately. "Dash," he mumbled, running his fingers over the words written on the paper. Dash actually wrote down the homework they received that day? "Why are you doing this to me?" He dropped his head onto his folded arms. Dash acting nicer to him only made Danny's feelings for him grow.


	16. Chapter 16

"Get up, you big lug," Dash said, tugging the blankets off the bed.

Kwan protested with a whine as he blindly groped for the covers. "Can't we skip school?" He rolled onto his back and glared at his friend.

"Nope. No skipping." Dash whacked his friend in the head with a pillow. "Be down in five minutes or you don't get breakfast."

"I like my eggs runny," Kwan shouted as Dash disappeared through the doorway of the guest bedroom. "Not that scrambled crap you always make."

"Then get up, you lazy idiot!" Dash grinned when he heard his friend grumbling but moving about in the bedroom.

Kwan was always difficult to wake up in the morning. He never wanted to get out of bed when morning came. Dash rolled his eyes, thinking of how childish Kwan could act. Because that was exactly what it was like in the morning: trying to wrestle a child out of bed when he didn't want to go to school. Dash snorted in amusement. Kwan loved school and learning new things.

When he entered the kitchen, Dash grabbed some pans and started preparing to cook eggs for the both of them: scrambled for himself and sunny side up for Kwan. He was plating the two eggs dishes when Kwan strolled into the room, dressed in some of the clothes that he left over one time. Kwan dropped into one of the chairs at the table, and Dash brought the plates over with a pair of forks.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Dash placed the plate of sunny side up eggs in front of Kwan.

"It would be fine if she hadn't left us," Kwan mumbled, leaning his head on one arm. His fingers buried themselves in his dark locks. He picked up the fork with his other hand and dug into his egg, grinning when the yolk ran in a gooey mess over the plate.

"That's no excuse." Dash frowned as he watched Kwan stab at the eggs a few times before finally taking a bite. "Your dad's a dick."

"He blames me." Kwan's shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Even I blame me."

"Your mom didn't leave because of you," Dash argued furiously. "She left because your dad's a dick."

Kwan twisted his head around to stare at Dash. A miserable look was in those eyes. "I'm glad I stayed because I wouldn't want any other best friend besides you." His eyes lowered, and Dash knew what was coming next. "But why didn't she want me?"

"She's an idiot if she didn't want you." Dash's jaw clenched tightly. He saw that look on his friend's face too many times over the years, and his fury at Kwan's parents only increased every time Kwan fell into one of these moods. Kwan's father was hardly a role model for parent of the year, and his mother was the type that couldn't deal with responsibility. She stuck around for a few years after Kwan was born, but then being married, tied down to one place, and having a child to look after became too much for her. She ran away without so much as a note. One day while they were in school, she packed up her things and grabbed the first ride out of town.

Kwan managed a weak smile, but he left half his egg uneaten.

Teeth grinding in frustration, Dash grabbed their plates and dumped what wasn't eaten into the trash. "Just forget about them," he snapped, tossing the plates into the sink with a loud clatter. Luckily neither of them broke. His mother would have thrown a fit if he broke her plates. "They aren't worth the effort, and they don't deserve you."

"You say that all the time."

"And you should listen!" Dash pulled Kwan out of his chair. He took hold of his friend's face and forced him to look into his eyes. "It drives me crazy when you let them do this to you. You're better than them." He could see the disbelief in Kwan's eyes, and there was a look there that made Dash realize something for the first time about his friend. Kwan didn't date anymore not because there was no one that he was interested in but because he feared being like his mother. He feared settling into a serious relationship and not being able to handle it. He feared he would run as fast and far away as possible or lash out in rage like his father. "You're absolutely nothing like your parents," Dash told him in a serious tone that left no room for his friend to argue.

Kwan rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Don't we have to get to school now?"

Dash released a growl as he turned and stomped out of the kitchen. "You're just going to keep ignoring everything I say, aren't you?" He slung his bag over his shoulder then tossed Kwan's bag to him.

"Yup!" Kwan grinned as he caught the bag.

"I don't know what to do with you sometimes." Dash shook his head as they left his house. He worried about his friend, but Kwan slipped on his usual mask, smiling like there was never a dark cloud in the sky. He hated it.

By the time they reached school, Kwan was chatting on some random topic that Dash only half listened to. Dash assumed it was something to do with school and homework. As they walked toward the entrance of the school, he looked for some sign, some crack in the mask, but any hint of Kwan's depressed mood evaporated during the ride.

"Do you think Fenton will be here today?" Kwan asked as they walked down the hallway.

"I don't know. He looked pretty bad yesterday." But Dash hoped Fenton would come, if for no other reason than to be reassured that the man was okay, that his parents were as clueless as ever about his real identity.

Kwan patted him on the back. "He'll be fine." He squeezed his hand around Dash's shoulder and offered a small smile, that one he always used when he was trying to be encouraging.

Dash smiled back, but it was a pathetic effort. They parted ways as Dash headed for his locker. After shoving some books into his locker, he slammed it shut then received a shock. "What do you want?" he demanded, glaring right back at the woman scowling at him. Why was Fenton's little friend bugging him?

"I want you to keep away from Danny," Manson ordered, her tone as dark as her glare and the eyeliner poorly done around her eyes. "I don't know what game you're playing with him."

"I'm not playing a game." Dash turned down the hallway to head to class. Did Manson really think she could try to intimidate him into not helping Fenton? If Paulina couldn't harass him into not seeing Fenton, then Manson certainly didn't stand a chance. Fenton certainly wasn't making any complaints about their current arrangement.

Manson wouldn't let it go though. She hurried forward and put herself in his way. "You're making him sick!" She pointed a finger in his face. "That incident that happened yesterday is your fault."

Dash's brow furrowed as he tried to make some sense of what she meant. "How is that even possible?"

"I don't know. But it has to be because of you. You've been acting weird around him ever since this whole stupid tutor thing started. What interest do you have in Danny anyway? He's _my_ friend. He doesn't need you to help him study."

Dash rolled his eyes. It was pointless to try to explain that he wasn't acting weird at all. "Apparently he does, since he's actually learning something with _my_ help."

Manson sputtered at him, outraged by his comment. "Just stay away from him."

"Whatever," Dash muttered, walking around her. He didn't take orders from her.

But his mind kept circling back to her comment about him making Fenton sick. Could he possibly be causing that? Dash didn't understand how that could even be possible. Why would spending time with Fenton be making him sick? He shook his head as he dropped into a seat in his first class. A minute later, Fenton appeared and took the seat next to him. Dash leaned across the aisle between them.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Fenton answered, putting on a smile that Dash didn't quite believe. "I guess that little bug lingered. But I woke up this morning feeling better."

"Class is beginning," the teacher snapped.

Dash leaned back into his seat. His gaze darted toward Fenton, but the man didn't seem sick. A frown settled on his face as he stared at the white hairs now covering virtually all of the bottom half of Fenton's head in a reverse of how he remembered Phantom looking that one time. He glanced around, but no one gave any notice to the change. Fenton's eyes worried him though. He caught the red bleeding into the crystal blue around the edges. He thought he even saw some flecks of glowing green mixed into the odd coloring of his eyes.

No incidents occurred during their first period or the second. Fenton was late when he entered their English class. He looked a little paler as he took his seat.

"You were late, Fenton," Lancer said sternly, though even Dash could see the concern in his eyes. As hard a teacher as the man could be, Lancer cared a great deal for his students.

"Sorry, Sir," Fenton piped up immediately, like it was an automatic response. "Won't happen again."

"I should hope not." Lancer frowned as his eyes lingered on Fenton. "Your report is due today. Have you finished it?" He already collected the reports from the rest of the class before Fenton stumbled into the room.

Panic splashed across Fenton's face. He searched through his bag, sifting through all the books and papers crammed into the purple sack. The papers that he drew out were wrinkled and looked messy, and he frowned at the sight of them. Fenton got up and walked up to the front of the room to hand it in to Lancer.

"I, uh, didn't quite finish it," Fenton admitted as he scratched the back of his head.

Lancer took the report from him regardless. "I know you went home sick yesterday." That concern was back in his eyes as he frowned at Fenton. "I hope you didn't rush back to school before making a full recovery." He narrowed his eyes because Fenton looked pale and sweaty, and anyone that cared enough to look could see that the man wasn't feeling well.

Fenton shook his head insistently. "I'm fine now." But at that moment, a coughing fit decided to wrack his body. He covered his mouth with his hand as his body shook with every painful sounding cough.

The concern that entered Lancer's eyes matched Dash's fear. "Fenton, you are clearly not well."

Dash was out of his seat before his mind caught up to his actions. He ignored the murmurs as he rushed over to Fenton. When Fenton stopped coughing and pulled his hands away from his mouth, panic tightened around Dash's heart. Fenton's hands were covered in blood. Dash caught him as Fenton started to fall, and the class exploded with gasps, several students clamoring out of their seats to see exactly what was happening. Dash tried to remain calm as he held Fenton close. Was this his fault?

"Baxter, take Fenton-" But Lancer cut himself off with a clink of his teeth snapping shut.

Dash followed Lancer's fearful gaze, as did several other students, and suddenly screams were echoing all around the classroom. Chaos broke out as students ran from the room. Lancer tried to keep everyone calm, but no one would listen when faced with a ghost. Dash pulled Fenton behind the teacher's desk, fearing that they would get trampled on in the stampede of students making a mass exodus out of the classroom.

Silence fell when they were alone in the classroom. Dash bit down his tongue, trying to keep calm. Fenton was out cold, skin clammy and coated with a layer of sweat. His breathing was shallow, and blood stained his chin and lips. If Fenton was feeling better, he could change into Phantom and fight the ghost. But in this condition, Fenton was a sitting duck for his enemies to attack him.

Dash held back a startled a scream when the ghost appeared around the side of the desk. His black hair pointed up like horns, and his red eyes narrowed at the human. Dash's arms tightened around Fenton, and he gave his best glare at the ghost despite his fears.

"Hand him over," the ghost ordered with an arm extended toward them.

"No," Dash growled, his jaw clenching tightly.

"I see there are some people who actually possess a backbone," the ghost said in a rather bored, unimpressed manner. "But I must insist that you release Daniel and give him to me now."

Dash refused, his hold remaining on Fenton as his eyes narrowed. "And why would I do that?"

"I doubt that little pea sized brain of yours is capable of fully comprehending the situation. Daniel is in a very dangerous condition right now. If you have even an ounce of feeling toward him, you'll hand him over to me right now before this situation becomes worse."

"And why should I believe anything you say?" Dash backed away from the ghost, dragging Fenton with him. "You're a ghost, and you probably want to do some evil ghost thing to Fenton. I already know about him. I already know he's Danny Phantom." He still didn't have any idea how that happened, but now wasn't the time to try to piece it together.

The ghost rolled his eyes as two rings of light traveled over his body. In place of the ghost, a tall man stood with a sour look on his face as he glared down at Dash. "And I happen to be exactly like Daniel. I'm also the only one that has any understanding about what's happening to him. I can help him, but to do that, I need you to release that vice grip on him and hand him over to me."

Dash glanced down at the man and noticed Fenton was having difficulty breathing while wrapped tightly in the jock's arms. He quickly loosened his hold around Fenton. "What's happening to him?" He lifted a worried look to the older man. "Why is his hair turning white? Why can no one else see that?"

An eyebrow quirked upward, and interest passed through the man's eyes. "You can see the white hair?" When Dash nodded, the man mumbled, "Interesting." He looked Dash over curiously. "I thought the reason I could see it was because I'm like him: half ghost. I don't have any guesses as to why you can see it too when no one else seems to notice the change. What I can tell you is that his condition is progressing dangerously fast, and I don't know what will happen to him if we don't stop this now."

When the man held out his arms, Dash hesitated. It didn't feel right offering Fenton up to this man. But if he could in fact help Fenton, what choice did he have? He stood and placed Fenton carefully in the man's arms. "Please," he begged, and he knew it sounded pathetic, "make sure he's okay."

"Of course," the man agreed as he switched back into his ghost form. They both turned as they heard a shout of "Where's the ghost?" The half ghost shifted his hold on Fenton so that he could place a hand on Dash's chest. "You'll have to forgive me."

Dash didn't have time to formulate a question in response. Something slammed into his chest, sending him flying back into the wall. It felt like fire burning across his chest. He slid down the wall and pitched forward onto the floor. His eyes tried to close, his vision fading as his body throbbed. The last thing he saw was the half ghost flying through the classroom's ceiling before his eyes slipped shut and unconsciousness won.


	17. Chapter 17

A smirk slipped onto his face as his eyes swept over the sea of cowering mortals shivering at the foot of his throne. With only a glace, they would whimper with fear, crying for they knew there was no hope of escape. His powers were frightening and grew every day. He enjoyed using those powers to make the humans submit to him. Their cries were a haunting symphony to his ears that made his smirk widen.

Danny took his time choosing among the many who would be his next victim. His gaze fell upon a tall man, blond and muscular with defiance rather than fear shining in his dark blue eyes. For a human, he might be strong, but that strength was nothing when compared to that of a half ghost. Something familiar was in those eyes as Danny approached the man. But he paid little attention to that nagging sense of familiarity. He tugged on the collar wrapped around the man's neck as he knelt before the half ghost.

That look of fierce determination, like the man actually believed he could somehow escape his fate, made Danny laugh as he leaned down toward the man. "I bet you taste delicious," he whispered into the man's ear, thrilled when a shudder ran through the man's body. His hold shifted around the man's throat, and his hand squeezed. Any other person would have screamed and cried, begged to be spared, but not this man. He almost regretted taking the man's life, but he was right. The energy from this man was the sweetest nectar he could ever recall tasting.

Bolting up in his bed, Danny sat upon sweat drenched sheets, gasping desperately for air. Sickness coiled in his gut while fear tightened his chest. His eyes were wide and wild, his body trembled from the horror that gripped him. The dream - No. The nightmare struck terror into his heart. He could still feel the immense pleasure at sucking away a person's life, the enjoyment of feeding upon a person's soul. It scared Danny to his very core to see himself acting like a monster, preying upon the weak, even if it was only in a dream.

His legs were shaky when he climbed out of bed, and he stumbled as he crossed the room. When he reached the door, he twisted the knob, and with a snap, it broke off in his hand. The door creaked ajar as the other knob fell and landed on the floor with a loud whump-thump. He stared at it, stunned by what happened.

"What's going on?" His fear increased another notch. Was this another side effect of the attack? Danny picked up the second knob and set the two of them on his desk. He stared at the pair for a moment before leaving his room. He needed answers, and he prayed that Vlad would know something by now.

The house was silent as he reached the ground floor, and the light filtering through the windows was fading. He must have slept through most of the day after what happened in class. That thought brought a frown to his face. What happened after he coughed up blood? He could only remember staring at the red liquid coating his hands that was strangely mixed with hints of bright green before everything went dark.

A pounding on the door made him jump. His hand curled around the fabric of his shirt as he tried to calm his racing heart. Danny walked over to the front door and opened it. His heart sank when he saw Tucker and Sam, but he slapped himself mentally for thinking that Dash might have come over to check on him.

"Thank god, you're all right!" Sam's arms wrapped around him in a tight hug.

"That hurts," Danny wheezed out before she finally released him.

"We were so worried when we heard about what happened," Tucker explained as he closed the door. The three of them walked into the front room. "We heard stories that you coughed up blood and passed out, then there was the ghost attack."

"Ghost attack?" Panic surged through Danny at that announcement.

"This is all Dash's fault." Sam's voice was cold and hard as she ignored Danny's question. "You're sick because of Dash."

Danny stared in confusion before glancing at Tucker for a better explanation.

"If anything, this is probably all because of that ghost's attack." Tucker shrugged. "They wouldn't tell us anything that happened. All we know is your parents had the school closed for the day while they try to track down the ghost." He glanced warily at Sam before adding, "And Dash was taken to the hospital."

"What?" Danny shouted in alarm, seizing hold of Tucker's arm. "What happened to Dash?" If Dash was hurt because of him - Danny clamped his eyes close, not wanting to think of what he might do. "Tell me everything!" He shook Tucker without meaning to, and his eyes flashed blood red without his realizing it.

"Danny," Tucker tried but his voice was weak. The color waned from his face, and the light seemed to dim in his eyes.

"Danny, let him go!" Sam shouted, scared from the sound of her voice. She tried to pry Danny's hands from Tucker's arm but his grip was far too tight and far too strong.

"Daniel!" The smallest hint of panic could be heard in that new voice, but Danny's focus was solely on Tucker and finding out what happened to Dash. When the man's hands grabbed him, Danny shoved Tucker away and in a flash attacked the man. Tucker stumbled, falling onto his butt. Sam knelt behind him, keeping Tucker sitting upright though her friend looked like he was ready to pass out.

The struggle lasted for a few moments as the man fended off Danny's attempts to strangle him. Gasping, he dropped to his knees, his strength failing him as Danny's hands inched gradually closer to his neck. Then, like waking from a trance, Danny blinked in shock at the man before him. Vlad! His eyes grew wide as Danny stared at the older half ghost. Vlad released his hold on Danny's wrists as he fell backward, hitting his back against the doorframe. Danny stared at his hands, his breathing in shallow gasps as his heart raced.

"What - What happened?" Danny's body wouldn't stop trembling. He turned to his friends, and the look on their faces, that look of fear, ripped at his heart. He ran up the stairs to his room, slamming the door for all that it would do before he scrambled under his desk. His knees pressed against his chest, and he tried to make his body appear small. He heard shouts from downstairs, but they sounded distant to him. He buried his face into his knees and tried not to break down and cry.

"Daniel."

He tensed at the voice when Vlad found him moments later. Danny lifted his head, staring fearfully at the older half ghost.

"Come out from there right now, Daniel," Vlad ordered.

"I'm a monster!" Danny's voice was thick with all the emotions twisting inside him. Despite his efforts, tears rolled down his cheeks.

"You're not a monster. Now come out from there." Vlad glared when Danny refused to move at his command.

"I am! I stole energy from Tucker! I-" Danny stopped when it all built up too much and he sobbed. His head lowered, and his fists started pounding on his head, trying to punishing himself for what he did.

"Stop that!" Vlad grabbed his arms and dragged Danny out from under the desk. "You clearly had no conscious thought of stealing the energy from those you touched."

"But I still did it! I can feel his energy in me. I can feel _your_ energy in me." Danny bowed his head, trying to free his wrists from Vlad so that he could beat on himself some more. "I'm turning into a monster!"

Vlad released his hold on one wrist then slapped Danny across the face. "You'll only become a monster if you give in to what that ghost has done to you."

Danny stared at Vlad in shock before bowing his head in shame. "What's happening to me, Vlad?"

Vlad sighed as he pulled Danny toward his bed and forced the young half ghost to sit. "We're still trying to find that ghost. He's apparently very adept at hiding because very few of my sources have any knowledge of him. That attack he used," he frowned at the miserable look on Danny's face. "The effects are triggered by love. Apparently when used on a human, it makes the victim violently obsessed with the one they love until their soul burns out and their body becomes a useless shell."

Danny gasped, feeling like Vlad punched him so hard the air was forced out of him. "That - That's what's going to happen to me?" He turned his eyes, filled with terror and tears, onto Vlad. "I'm going to become some useless shell because I fell in love with Dash?"

A smirk twitched at Vlad's mouth with that admission. But it was quickly schooled with worry. "No," he shook his head, "I'm still working on analyzing the data and figuring out how this might be cured. But-" He frowned, and the look sent panic through Danny.

"But what?" Danny was almost too scared to hear the answer.

Vlad took a deep breath and sighed. "It seems that being half ghost has caused an unusual reaction to the effects of that ghost's attack." He paused, taking a moment to think of the best way to explain what he discovered so far. "When you became half ghost, it was believed that your DNA structure went through a mutation. That's not entirely correct. As a human, you still bleed normal blood while as a ghost, you bleed ectoplasm. There are two distinct beings inside one body: the human and the ghost. But because of that ghost's attack, the two being are combing into one. This sickness you're suffering from is your body responding to the change."

Danny's brow creased, his head hurting as he tried to follow Vlad's explanation. "I don't understand. What exactly am I becoming then?"

"A new kind of half ghost is the best explanation I can give you." Vlad shrugged. "But it seems the change you're going through isn't finished. It's only a guess, but after that display you just showed, I think if this transformation completes itself, you might not be able to control yourself anymore."

"Then our best option is to kill this ghost and hope the effect is nullified?" That was the only thing Danny needed to know. 

"That would be my best guess. As I've already said," Vlad placed his hands on Danny's shoulders to stop him, "I already have other ghosts searching for this ghost. For now, you should rest. You're not in the best condition for a fight. And there's another matter I wish to discuss with you."

"This is wasting time," Danny grumbled as Vlad sat beside him on the bed. He knew Vlad had a point. He wasn't in the best condition to fight, and he still felt shaken after what happened downstairs. How else might these changes affect him? How might it affect his powers? He would rather not fight until he knew he could control his powers, but time wasn't something they necessarily had a lot of right now.

"Daniel, I want you to come live with me when this is all over."

Danny gawked at the man. "Are you _insane_?" His reaction was not unexpected from the older half ghost.

"No, Daniel, I'm very much not." Vlad shook his head, looking old and weary for once. "This isn't some play for your loyalty. Your mother is no interest to me. I'm thinking solely of your safety. There's a reason Jasmine sought me out when she went to college. You can't keep overlooking the fact that your parents are ghost hunters."

"My parents love me!" Danny growled as his eyes flashed, a strange mix of red and green.

"Perhaps they do." But Vlad's expression suggested that he didn't quite think that was true. "But you're deluding yourself if you think they'll just accept you when they learn that you're half ghost. They will stop at nothing to find a ghost to experiment on. And since Danny Phantom has become such a big name in town, you're their number one target. Do you think they will pass up the chance to learn more about what you are just because you're their son?"

Danny couldn't breathe. "Why are you trying to turn me against my parents?" He tried to leap to his feet, but Vlad held him back.

"I'm trying to wake you up, Daniel! You've already realized it yourself."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Yes, you do!" Vlad gripped Danny's shoulders tightly in his hands. "When you first saw the physical changes to your appearance, you panicked. You feared what your parents would do when they saw it because you knew if they realized you're Danny Phantom, they would strap you down to a table and start cutting you up like a lab rat for dissection. You know it's true, but you still blindly want to believe that your parents will love you no matter what."

Danny wanted to argue against the claim, wanted to believe forever in the dream that his parents would love him. But the nightmares always found him. That seed of doubt always lingered no matter how much he tried to stamp it out. He woke in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, with terrible images dancing fresh in his mind of the horrors his parents would do to him if they found out he was half ghost.

"Daniel." Vlad drew the young man against him, arms wrapping gently around him. "I only want to keep you safe."

Despite everything that happened between them in the past, Danny found he believed those words. It was strange to realize it. How could he feel so safe with the thought of living with archenemy while being so scared of remaining with his parents?

Danny wasn't sure how long they sat there like that. He felt too emotional drain after everything that happened to think of moving. His body was changing in ways that he couldn't even fathom. He was stealing people's energies by touch. He was forced into a realization that he always hoped he would never have to admit. Now he simply wanted to sleep and wait for all his nightmares to go away, but he knew there would only be more nightmares waiting for him.

He was starting to drift off to sleep when noise from downstairs startled him. Even Vlad tensed against him as they heard movement on the lower floor, heading for the laboratory.

"Your parents are home," Vlad stated the obvious as he stood.

"You were the ghost at school, right?" Danny somehow bit back the comment about Vlad being Captain Obvious.

"Yes."

"It sounded like they weren't alone."

Vlad frowned, and Danny got the impression that he wasn't going to like what he heard next. "I may have," blue eyes flicked toward Danny, "injured that man that was protecting you."

"What man? Sorry, but I was a little unconscious during your whole attack on the school." Danny glared flatly at him.

"The blond one. Stupidly stubborn and protective. Looked like the jock type."

"Dash!" Danny shot to his feet and grabbed hold of the lapels of Vlad's suit. "Why did you attack him?"

"It would have looked strange if he was left uninjured in the classroom where the ghost attacked, wouldn't it?" Vlad pried Danny's hands off his suit then straightened his clothes. "I just wanted it to look believable. I didn't think your parents-"

"You think they took Dash!" Eyes wide in panic, Danny darted for the door when Vlad caught him.

"What do you think you're going to do?"

"I don't know!" Danny struggled against him. "But I can't let them hurt Dash. If things aren't going well, please, just do something to distract them long enough for me to get Dash out of here." For a moment, he didn't think Vlad would let him go.

"Fine. But you do realize, being around this man will probably cause the effects to speed up?"

Danny closed his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. "I have to help him."

Vlad released a sigh but let the young man go. Danny hurried out of the room with only the thought of protecting Dash on his mind.


	18. Chapter 18

He remembered the hospital. It was a brief moment of consciousness, waking up while the sun was still shining. Kwan was there, hovering over him with that usual worried expression whenever he got hurt. That wasn't so unusual since it happened any time Dash was tackled on the field and there was that brief moment of "Oh crap! How hard did that guy just hit him?" that raced through his friend's mind as he shoved his way through the crowd to check on Dash. If his parents were there, Dash didn't see them before the dark oblivion was pulling him under again. He wasn't sure if that was because of how badly injured he was after that damn ghost hit him with some kind of attack or if the doctors were trying to keep him sedated until they assessed the damage done to him.

When he woke again, it was dark out. The world was somewhat fuzzy, and it took him a little while after hearing a door close to realize something wasn't quite right. His eyes darted about, and even with blurred vision, he recognized the Fenton's front room. What was he doing at the Fenton house? When he tried to move, he came to the startling realization that he was being carried. Someone held him bridal styled as they moved through the house. Dash struggled and opened his mouth to yell at the person, but his voice was muffled. His mouth wouldn't open all the way, and it felt like duct tape was slapped over his mouth to keep him silent.

"I knew we should have used more," Mrs. Fenton whispered with a hint of anger in her voice. "I told you that wasn't enough to keep him sedated until we got to the lab."

"I wasn't going to risk him slipping into a coma," Mr. Fenton grumbled, trying to keep Dash in his arms as the football jock struggled to break free. "That stuff was completely untested."

_What the fuck?_ Dash thought, fury building in his chest as he tried to find some way to attack the man carrying him. His legs were tied up, and his arms bound to his sides, offering little ability to move. He wiggled around and thrashed about as much as possible, trying to make as much noise as possible. What good would that do him though? If Fenton wasn't home, who would be there to hear him?

Mrs. Fenton took the lead, opening the door off to the side of the kitchen that led down into their laboratory. Fear made his heart hammer as Mr. Fenton carried him down the stairs. Dash couldn't remember ever going down into the laboratory. When he studied with Jazz, they stuck to the kitchen. Even when Fenton rallied them to fight the ghosts to rescue their parents, none of them ventured into the laboratory. Dash didn't know what Fenton's parents were planning, but being tied up and carried into a laboratory didn't seem like it would lead to anything good.

When they reached the laboratory, Mr. Fenton set Dash down his feet. He kept hold of Dash's arms while Mrs. Fenton tapped something on the jock's chest. The ropes binding him sprung free. Dash struggled, trying to pull his arms free, but Mr. Fenton yanked his arms over his head. When he heard clicks, Dash tilted his head back to see the shackles that clasped around his wrists. A shout left him, muffled by the tape across his mouth, when the chain connecting the shackles was pulled on harshly. His arms felt like they might pop out of their sockets when they suddenly took on all of his weight. His feet dangled uselessly several inches off the ground.

"We have a few questions for you," Mrs. Fenton said, snapping Dash's attention back to the adults. She held a dual pronged device in front of his face. The tips of the prongs sparked dangerously. "You just have to answer them honestly, and this will all be over very quickly."

Sweat prickled on his brow, sliding down into his eyes. Dash swallowed, trying to fight back his fear and panic. What was this all about? Did Fenton's parents really just kidnap him with the plan to torture information out of him? Did they somehow figure out that he knew who Danny Phantom was? No, that couldn't be possible! He didn't tell anyone about that discovery. Fenton's parents wouldn't have any reason to suspect him of knowing anything about Danny Phantom. Then what was their reason for kidnapping him? Was it because he was knocked out by that ghost?

Before Mrs. Fenton could even begin questioning him, they heard footsteps on the stairs. Dash tried to glance over his shoulder, but he couldn't see much of anything.

"Danny, sweetie, you should be in bed," Mrs. Fenton said, putting on the caring mother act as she put down her torture device.

"Why do you have Dash here?" Fenton asked, and Dash felt a chill down his spine. Fenton never sounded that cold and angry. Dash wished he could turn around enough to see the other man.

"There was a ghost attack at the high school," Mr. Fenton explained with a hint of misery in his voice. "This boy was attacked. We're just going to ask him a few quick questions about what happened. It might help us track down the ghost."

"It looks more like you're planning on torturing him." Even if he couldn't see the man, Dash could practically hear the way Fenton ground his teeth as he talked. It was like Fenton was trying desperately to keep control over his anger.

"What a silly idea!" Mrs. Fenton actually laughed! She laughed like the thought was humorous in how far from the truth it was when only moments ago she was inches away from shocking Dash with that pronged device. "We're not going to torture him. It's just a few questions, then he'll be on his way home."

"Then why is he chained up?" Fenton demanded, shouting at his parents. "He doesn't know anything. So what if he was hit by a ghost's attack? That doesn't mean he knows anything about the ghost. He was probably just hit by some random stray energy ball. Wrong place, wrong time. An accident. A big, unfortunate accident. But he doesn't know a damn thing so just let him go."

"Danny-"

Dash heard a slap like Fenton swatted away his mother's hands. If anything more was going to be said among the family, it was cut off by a blaring siren. Mr. Fenton appeared to the left side of Dash's vision. He typed something into a computer console.

"There's activity at the high school," Mr. Fenton announced after checking something on the screen. "It might be the same ghost as before." He grabbed some kind of stick and some bazooka looking weapons as he rushed past the hanging man.

"Danny, you should go back to bed and rest," Mrs. Fenton said as the footsteps faded away. "You don't look any better." The door at the top of the stairs closed, and the click of the door locking echoed in the silent laboratory.

Dash was glad to be left alone, escaping for the moment the threat of torture. But the adrenaline of panic still thrummed in his veins. He needed to get out of here before Fenton's parents returned. Tilting his head back, he looked at the setup of current situation. The chain of the shackles looped over a pipe that ran along the ceiling. It was much too high up for him to reach in any manner. With some effort, he managed to twisted about enough to follow the chain down to the floor behind him. There was a hook on the floor that chain wrapped around, but it didn't look like a very steady setup. With a little maneuvering, he might be able to free the chain.

Dash rocked his body, building up a slow momentum. It took a few tries, but he managed to wrap a foot around the chain. He took a deep breath. The effort made his arms hurt more. The next part would be tricky, trying to yank the chain free from the hook that was merely a bit of metal bent at pretty much a ninety degree angle. He only had to tug the chain forward until it slipped from the hook.

When the door banged open, Dash's heart stopped, fear surging through him again. How could they be back already? Then Fenton appeared before him, relief on his pale and sweaty face. He reached up and ripped the duct tape off the jock's mouth. Dash yelped at the sting around his mouth from the tape.

"I'm so sorry about this, Dash!" Fenton ducked around behind him. "I can't believe my parents would do something like this." Disgust and hatred filled his voice. The chain lowered the jock slowly until his feet touched the ground.

"It's not your fault," Dash said, hoping Fenton wasn't putting any of the blame on himself.

Fenton shook his head as he freed Dash's wrists from the shackles. "You have to get out of here. I don't know how soon they'll come back, but you can't be here."

"I'm not leaving without you," Dash said firmly. He almost smiled when Fenton lifted his shocked face to stare at him.

"You - Just-" Fenton suddenly tackled him to the ground, surprising Dash until he spotted a flash red passing over them. Both of them snapped their heads around to see a ghost standing in the laboratory with a cruel smirk on his face. "Just get out of here," Danny whispered urgently then shot to his feet.

But Dash couldn't move. It wasn't just fear that kept him frozen. He watched, his jaw hanging open as Fenton stood to take on the ghost. In a flash of bright light, Phantom stood there with his hands glowing with green energy. The enemy ghost lobbed a red ball of energy at Phantom, but the ghost hero vanished in a flash, avoiding the attack. Dash couldn't even follow the movement. One moment Phantom was standing before him, then he was behind the ghost, firing a blast that sent his enemy flying toward the far wall. Dash's eyes widened when Phantom dropped to his knees and coughed into his hands.

When the coughing fit ended, Phantom snapped his gaze toward the jock. "Dash, please, just leave," he begged with green blood dripping down his chin. Dash thought his heart stopped at the sight of his hero looking like he was seconds away from collapsing.

The enemy ghost laughed as he climbed back to his feet. He dusted off his clothes. His eyes sparkled with malice as he stared at Phantom. "It shouldn't be long now. You can feel the change, can't you?" He strode across the laboratory toward Phantom. "You're becoming so much more than you were. Why fight it? Humanity is a waste."

"I'm not giving in to," Phantom took a deep breath before shouting, "YOU!"

Dash clapped a hand over his ears as a supersonic screamed rocked through the laboratory. The enemy ghost tried but couldn't put up much of a fight against the sound wave attack. He slammed back into the wall, and the continued force of Phantom's shout pressed him back until the wall cracked under the pressure. The light wrapped around Phantom until he was Fenton again. He pitched forward onto the ground as the enemy ghost slid down the wall after the attack faded.

Dash scrambled to reach Fenton but a blast made him fall back. His eyes darted upward to see the horned haired half ghost from before floating down into the laboratory.

"Your presence is a danger to Daniel currently," the half ghost explained. "If you don't leave right this instant, Daniel might become a monster that I can't help."

"But-" Dash bit his tongue at the cold glare the half ghost gave him.

"I'll handle things here. I won't let any harm come to Daniel."

Dash started to argue, but there was something in the half ghost's voice that made him stop. This half ghost cared a lot for Fenton's well being. With a curt nod, Dash scrambled to his feet and raced up the stairs two at a time. As he reached the kitchen, he heard the sounds of a ghost screaming in pain. Even without witnessing it, Dash knew the half ghost was attacking the enemy ghost that threatened Fenton. He put all his faith in the half ghost's ability to protect Fenton as he ran out of the house and escaped into the night.


	19. Chapter 19

When he woke, his eyes immediately darted around the room, searching for the ghost that was attacking. His heart raced in his chest, the rush of blood thundering in his ears. Fear clung tightly to him as a surge of adrenaline thrummed through his veins. He knew using the Ghostly Wail was a risky move since it still tended to drain him even after years of trying to train himself to use it better. But the effects of that ghost's attacks were making it hard to fight. It felt impossibly hot, and his head was spinning. The sick queasiness in his stomach made him want to vomit. He needed to incapacitate the ghost fast and get Dash out of the house!

A hand touched his shoulder, and Danny jumped, almost attacking the person until he recognized Vlad with that eerie concern in his eyes. Danny took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart, which felt like it was still running a mile a minute. It was only then that he realized he was back in his room. His eyes snapped back to Vlad.

"Where's the ghost? Dash! What happened to Dash?" His heart quickened a beat at the thought of something happening to Dash. What if Dash didn't get out and his parents were down there in the laboratory torturing him? Danny tried to breathe calmly, but the tight feeling in his chest made it difficult.

"Relax, Daniel," Vlad said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "The ghost isn't a threat anymore." A small smirk tugged at his mouth. "You did well knocking him out. I don't think he anticipated how much strength these changes would give you. I used some of your parents' equipment to," he frowned, "eliminate the threat."

"Meaning you destroyed him." Danny thought he should feel some guilt with that knowledge, and maybe some part of him did. "Does that mean his attack won't affect me anymore?" He pressed a hand to his chest and didn't feel any pain when it touched the spot over his heart.

"It seems his demise cancelled the effects." Vlad smirked in that irritatingly knowing way. "You'll be safe to see that boy again."

Danny flushed darkly and scowled at the older half ghost. "What happened to Dash?"

"He's safe. He ran once he was certain I would keep you safe."

Danny sighed in relief, leaning back against the wall. "What about my parents? They were going to hurt him to find out information on you!"

"That shouldn't be a problem anymore. I reminded them that they could be charged with kidnapping. If they went through with any form of torture, that would only add to their sentence." Vlad could see the doubt in Danny's eyes. "Plus they have no reason to ask about the ghost anymore. Only your foolish boyfriend-"

"We're not boyfriends!"

"-was stupid enough to stay behind to see me," Vlad skipped over Danny's comment like he never spoke. "No one at your school could give a decent description of the ghost that attacked. That was the whole reason they were desperate to get their hands on that boy. So I gave them what they wanted." He laughed when Danny's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets and his mouth hung open. "I left a useless blob of a ghost in the school. It gave them a decent enough chase, long enough for us to finish up with that ghost that attacked you. But it hardly had enough intelligence to escape, and your parents caught it. They're down in their lab right now, excited about playing with their new toy."

"You let them capture a ghost?" Danny kept enough sense not to shout. His parents might be obsessively busy down in the laboratory, but he didn't want to risk them overhearing his shout of alarm and come racing up to his room to see what caused his shout.

"Would you rather they caught _you_?" Vlad's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Because I can assure you that the tools they're using on that ghost right now were meant to be used on you, should they ever managed to catch Danny Phantom. And between you and a useless blob, I'd rather they capture the blob. I know it sounds uncaring, but I was looking out for your best interest. Or would you rather they kidnap your boyfriend again to torture out the information from him?"

Danny frowned, lowering his gaze. He hated the thought of his parents experimenting on some poor, innocent ghost, but he could still understand Vlad's thinking. By giving his parents the ghost they thought attacked the school, Vlad removed all reason for Danny's parents to take Dash again. It was selfish, but Danny didn't want any harm coming to Dash.

"I talked with your parents while you were 'sleeping,'" Vlad said, and Danny flicked his gaze back up to the older man. "Your father was very unhappy when I asked them to allow you to live with me. I think that's the first time I've ever seen him get so angry. He wasn't even that angry when he was tossing me about his lab like a ragdoll when I tried to steal your Portal."

"That was fun to watch." Danny smiled at the memory.

"It wasn't fun for me." Vlad sneered.

"What did my mom say?"

Vlad sighed. "Your mother was easy to convince. After all, I reminded her that though you efforts were commendable, it was too little too late."

"Hey!" Danny argued defensively. "I was doing really well with Dash tutoring me!"

"Yes, and you might have indeed brought your grades up in time under his care." Vlad nodded his agreement. "But it was a mere excuse to convince your mother. She was thrilled at the idea that I could give you a first rate education as well as some job experience working in my company. She said this would be a wonderful opportunity for you." He smirked, but Danny caught a hint of disgust in his eyes that he almost read as disbelief that Maddie could so easily give up her son to someone else.

"Well, I never would have fallen behind in the first place if it wasn't for all these stupid ghosts attacking," Danny argued grumpily. "Or you constantly trying to rip apart my family."

Vlad raised his hands before him. "I admit I was in the wrong there. But it's your own fault that you ended up stretching yourself so thinly that you had little time for your studies."

"Excuse me?" Danny sat up, glaring at Vlad. "How is it _my_ fault that ghosts keep attacking?"

Vlad rolled his eyes in that way that made Danny feel like the man thought he was an idiot. "You've made a name for yourself, Daniel. You're famous in the Ghost Zone for all your 'heroic deeds,' and your name is spread wide and far. Because of that, there's a target on your back." He jabbed a finger into Danny's chest. "You fight ghosts and win and ship them right back into the Ghost Zone. The stories get told, and more ghosts want to break out and fight you. Every single ghost wants to beat you because you've made yourself such a big deal. Beating you offers them the chance of making _their_ name famous in the Ghost Zone."

"So I was supposed to, what, _not_ stop each ghost that threatened the safety of my town?" Danny growled at Vlad until he felt a weird shifting in his body that he never before felt. Panic flashed in his eyes as he caught a hint of worry from Vlad. "What's wrong with me?"

"You shifted forms." Vlad's voice was very controlled and too calm. It was an act to keep Danny from panicking.

"But there were no rings of light!"

"You're not the same half ghost as before," Vlad reminded. "And this is why it's all the more important for you to come with me. You'll need to retrain your skills to regain control over your powers. You'll have to be much more careful controlling your emotions. If a little anger causes you to shift, that could be very dangerous for you. What if your parents had been in the room just now?"

Danny paled at that suggestion. He knew there were times in the past when his eyes would change when he felt anger. But a full shift into ghost form because of a little anger? His secret was in danger like this! "When do we leave?" He could hear the misery in his own voice. He resigned himself to the fact that he needed to leave. His life in Amity Park couldn't continue if he couldn't control his powers. The true nature of his parents terrified him. But he would be leaving everything he knew behind: his friends, his home, his school, his - Danny frowned. Dash wasn't his anything.

"As soon as possible," Vlad answered, a comforting hand finding Danny's shoulders. "Once your things are packed, we can go."

"Can I at least say goodbye to some people?" Danny lifted his gaze almost afraid Vlad would laugh or tell him no.

"As long as it's quick. I'd rather we didn't delay too long. This," Vlad gestured with a hand trailing down from Danny's shoulder to his lap, "is all new to me. And I have no idea yet if there's any way to reverse what's happened to you. And with the way you look," his fingers ran through the white hairs on the side of Danny's head, "you might draw attention. No one could see it before, but now that the merging has halted, I'd rather not risk someone seeing you like this. We'll have to cover up these changes, at least until we arrive at my home."

Danny nodded as he raked a hand through what was left of his natural raven locks. Once Vlad left the room, Danny climbed out of his bed then walked over to the mirror hanging on the inside of his closet door. The top of his head remained dark while the bottom half of his hair was white. It looked weird. Danny hated it. Leaning closer to the mirror, he stared at the reflection of his eyes. The outer rim of his irises had a weird violet hue while the inner rim was a vibrant sea green. Between them, he could still see a thin ring of his natural bright blue. Beyond that, he didn't seem to suffer any other physical changes.

For the longest time, Danny wandered about his room, touching various items littering every surface. Everything brought up memories of better times, times before the accident, before everything changed for him. He wished he could go back to those times. Everything seemed so much simpler back then. He didn't suffer from nightmares that he tried to pretend never existed. He didn't fear the things that his parents were capable of or what they would do to him if they caught him. Danny scrubbed at the hot tears that managed to slip down his cheeks. Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he started packing up the things in his room.

A few days later found him being drawn into a crushing hug by his best friends. Tucker pulled away first, looking happy to see that his friend was whole and healthy. Sam wouldn't release him for the longest time. Her arms remained tightly around his body until Danny finally gasped out that he couldn't breathe.

"S-Sorry," Sam mumbled, her cheeks flushing brightly.

If they were still in freshmen year, Danny might have returned the blush, but now he merely offered an awkward smile. They sat in Tucker's bedroom since his parents were still at work in the late afternoon, and Danny didn't want to hold this conversation anywhere near his own house. "Where to begin," Danny mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about everything that happened recently.

"Just start wherever you think is best," Tucker offered, clearly trying not to pressure Danny.

"What did that ghost do to you?" Sam's eyes wouldn't stray from the white hair Danny sported. Vlad's worry about the changes being seen by all now clearly wasn't misplaced.

Danny thought for a while then took a deep breath and explained everything about the ghost. Sam sprouted out more questions than Tucker, but the constant interruption to his explanation was a little irritating. "So in the end," Danny shot a glare at Sam when she opened her mouth like she had another question she wanted to ask, "I've decided to live with Vlad in Wisconsin."

"What?" Same shrieked, making Danny all the more glad that he chose Tucker's house for this. "You're leaving just like that?"

"It's for the best," Danny answered. His gaze darted toward Tucker, who was being oddly silent.

"Hey, I can't really argue." Tucker shrugged, but the sadness was clear. Tucker didn't want to lose his best friend. "I don't want anything bad happening to you. If living with Vlad is what you think is best, I'm not going to stop you."

Sam shot a withering glare at Tucker. "Have you forgotten that Vlad is evil?" She turned on Danny next. "How can you think living with your archenemy is better than living with your parents?"

"Vlad cares!" Danny shouted. He tried to keep control over the flare of anger, but from the way Sam gasped and fell back from him, he knew he failed and shifted forms. Tucker jumped with surprise but didn't have nearly as bad a reaction as Sam. With a few deep breaths, Danny managed to revert back. "Vlad cares," he repeated in a calmer tone. "He was looking out for me this whole time. He was tracking down that ghost and researching what was happening to me. He was worried about me. My parents would have happily dragged me into their lab and started treating me like a lab experiment if they even caught wind about what was happening with me."

"Your parents wouldn't hurt you," Sam insisted.

"Yes, they would. If they knew what I was, they wouldn't care that I'm their son." Danny stood up. "You don't get it, Sam. I've heard them talking about it for four years! I've heard everything, _in detail_ , about what they would do to me if they ever caught Danny Phantom. I've tried to believe that they'll always love me, but I can't keep lying to myself. The way I am now," Danny pressed a hand to his chest, "I'm at risk. And it's not just about my parents. I'm a risk to everyone until I've gotten control of what I am now. I only came over to explain everything to both of you and to say goodbye before I leave."

Before either of them could stop him, Danny walked out of the bedroom. He hoped that conversation would go better, but he had no idea how his friends would react to everything he told them. At the front door, arms suddenly wrapped around him. Danny paused and glanced over his shoulder to see Tucker with his head buried against Danny's back.

"I hate that you're leaving," Tucker said, close to crying at losing his friend. "But I won't stop you."

Danny sighed, tension melting out of him as he turned around. "Hey, we'll still talk. We've got the internet, and we can call each other. We'd be going off to college soon anyway. Or you would be. Who knows what I would have been doing?" Danny tried to laugh, but it didn't make it any easier to say good bye. "But I'm really sorry about before. I-" Pain twisted his expression. "I didn't know what I was doing. I couldn't control myself. If I knew what was happening, I would have stopped myself from sucking your energy."

Tucker shook his head. "It's okay, man." He bumped a fist against Danny's shoulder. "That ghost was making crazy things happen to you. I know you wouldn't do something like that if you were in control of your actions." He smiled like it was nothing to worry about between friends, and that made Danny smile. "I'm going miss you like crazy, man."

"Me too," was all Danny could manage. Sam didn't bother to come down to say any last words to him. Danny hugged Tucker one last time before he left the house. He took a deep breath as he walked toward the car waiting for him. He still had one last goodbye to make, but he wasn't sure he could do it.


	20. Chapter 20

Days passed slowly, much too slowly for his liking. Dash chewed on his thumbnail, leg shaking impatiently as he sat at the kitchen table with all his textbooks laid out before him. He tried to focus his attention on his homework, but he couldn't think of anything but Fenton. Why did he run away that night? He was kicking himself for it now, though he knew that other half ghost would make sure nothing happened to Fenton. But the days passed, and Dash heard nothing about what happened. Fenton didn't return to school again after that night that his parents strung Dash up in their laboratory. Why did that half ghost say that Dash's presence was a danger to Fenton? Questions kept coming to him one after another, but he could find no answers, see no understanding, and he couldn't even ask Fenton what happened. He almost drove to Fenton's house the next day but resisted the urge. He didn't want to run into Fenton's parents. What if they let him into the house then refused to let him go? At night, he woke up in a cold sweat from dreams of being prodded at with that sparking pronged device, and they didn't even start their torture on him before he got away.

"Dash, you're not even paying attention," Kwan said, breaking Dash from his thoughts. He sighed, placing his chin in his hand. "Why don't you just call him? You obviously want to talk to him, and you're not going to be able to focus on anything until you hear from him."

"I tried," Dash answered miserably. "But he wouldn't answer." He scrubbed a hand over his face. Kwan didn't know anything about what happened at Fenton Works that night, and Dash planned to keep it that way. As far as his friend and family were concerned, Dash was released early from the hospital. They didn't know anything about Mr. and Mrs. Fenton sneaking into his hospital room and kidnapping him.

"Well, he has been pretty sick lately." Kwan frowned with concern. "Maybe he just needs time away from everything to recover. You know, like, cutting himself off from the outside world so he can just relax and heal."

Dash wished he could believe that, but he didn't. With a sigh, he turned back to his homework. He needed to get it done for tomorrow, and his distracted thoughts were making it take longer than usual. As he scribbled out the next problem for his math homework, the doorbell rang. "Who is that?" he muttered as he tossed down his pencil and stood.

Kwan didn't bother getting up, keeping his attention buried in his own homework. Dash walked to the front door and yanked it open, ready to complain at whomever it was out of misplaced frustration. The words died in his throat, and he stared dumbly at the man standing on his doorstep. He tried to speak, but his mind seemed to have shut down.

"Hey," Fenton offered with a weak smile. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his well fitted jeans, which Dash noticed weren't his usual baggy pants. "Um," he looked about nervously, "I hope I'm not bothering you."

Dash snapped out of his daze. Stepping out of the house, he closed the door behind him, and they stood awkwardly together on the doorstep. "You're not bothering me," he admitted, but there was a tension in the air that settled over them. He wasn't sure what it was about, he had this gnawing sense that something bad was about to happen. "You look ridiculous in that hat." He took the strings dangling off the sides of the hat and wiggled them in the air. A laugh was forced out, trying to alleviate some of the tension before it drove him mad. Fenton wore a terrible winter hat with ear flaps that hung down the sides of his head. It looked hideous with the myriad of colors woven in a crazy pattern that didn't seem to have any rhyme or reason.

"Yeah, well, it was the only thing that covers my white hair," Fenton grumbled, tugging at the back of the hat like he feared the white hair was showing. "I tried dying it, but the dye wouldn't stick to those hairs." He rubbed at his eyes in irritation. "God, I hate these contacts too."

"So," Dash said slowly as he leaned back against the door, "you're half ghost," he finished without preamble. Why beat around the bush at this point? Fenton couldn't possibly think that Dash didn't know anything after transforming in front of him that night when the ghost attacked.

Some of the color drained from Fenton's face, and he shifted with nervousness. "Yeah," he mumbled, dropping his gaze. "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

"Duh! Of course not." Dash rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot. I read superhero comics. I know the hero always needs to keep his identity a secret. Besides, I knew _before_ that night your parents kidnapped me." He shrugged, ignoring the gaping expression now playing across Fenton's face. "And did I tell anyone? Nope. Not a single soul. I _do_ know how to keep a secret, you know."

"You _knew_?" Fenton shouted, mouth hanging open. "But how? When?"

Dash grinned at that utter bafflement on Fenton's face. "It seemed a bit obvious after you started sprouting white hairs and your eyes started doing that creepy flashing thing. Oh, and body parts being able to pass through solid objects seemed like a big hint."

Fenton scratched at his head, tilting the hat a little to show some of the white hair hidden underneath it. "You saw the changes?" He frowned. "I thought only Vlad saw them."

"Is that the other half ghost?"

"He told you about himself?" Fenton sighed, rubbing his hands over his face like he couldn't believe what his life came to. "Well, as long as you don't go around telling anyone, I guess that's okay."

"So is what happened to you normal?" Dash folded his arms, wishing that simple action could hold back all his feelings. He was terrified that Fenton would suddenly collapse, vomiting out blood before falling into a dead faint. "Was all that something half ghosts go through?"

Fenton shook his head, and for a while he was silent. His head bowed as he turned over his thoughts, trying to think of how to explain things. "That night you found me," Fenton started in a quiet voice, "I was fighting a ghost, and he hit me with an attack."

"That ghost that appeared in the laboratory?" Dash knew the answer before Fenton said anything, but he had to ask.

"Yes," Fenton hissed, bristling at the interruption. "Sorry." He tugged at the strings on his hat, fidgeting. "I've been having some issues controlling my emotions since the attack. Getting angry over nothing." He rolled his eyes up to stare at Dash. "But yes, that was the same ghost. Anyway, the attack he hit me with had a pretty bad side effect that started causing my human and ghost sides to merge. It's weird, and I don't really understand it all. Vlad keeps trying to give me all the technical details, but it really just goes over my head right now. But because of the merging, it started making me sick and stuff as the changes occurred. But that all seems to have stopped since the ghost was destroyed. Thankfully, the side effect deactivated, or whatever, after the ghost was wiped out."

Dash released his breath, the tension in his shoulders relaxing. Fenton was going to be all right. "Why did you come all the way over here to tell me all this?"

Fenton looked away, shifting again with nervousness. "Because I'm leaving."

Dash stared. His heart stopped in his chest. His mouth opened, and it was like all the words vanished from his mind. What did Fenton mean he was leaving? How could he be leaving? He was supposed to stay! They were supposed to study together! He was supposed to tell him how he felt before they graduated! Fenton wasn't allowed to just run out on him before he could work up the nerve to say something to him. "Sorry?" he managed to say. Maybe he misheard Fenton.

A deep breath made his chest rise. Then Fenton released a heavy sigh, like he was trying to rid the weight of the world from his shoulders in that one breath. "I'm going to Wisconsin to live with Vlad. He's like me, so he'll know how to help. I need to train myself, get control of this _thing_ that's happened to me." He pinched at his nose before looking up at Dash. Tears almost gathered in his eyes. "I can't stay here any longer. Not with what I am and who my parents are. As much as I wanted to deny it, I'm just in too much danger here. If my parents-" He cut off, shaking his head.

Dash didn't need to hear any more. He knew exactly where that line of thought was going. If Fenton's parents could kidnap _him_ to get answers about a ghost, he didn't want to imagine the nightmare awaiting Fenton if they learned their son was half ghost. Dash didn't think being their son would mean a whole lot. Ghosts meant far more to Fenton's parents. "So why are you here?" he asked neutrally. He understood why Fenton felt the need to leave, but it hurt. It felt like a knife was thrust into his heart, and there would be no way of removing it. He didn't want to let go of Fenton, not when they were finally this close, on the border of something like friendship. He jaw clenched as he thought about how Fenton could have skipped off to another city without ever having told him, and it felt even worse. "I would have thought you would be spending your final moments here with Manson and Foley." He couldn't even look at Fenton.

"I said my goodbyes to them already." Fenton swallowed, wiping his hands on his jeans.

"That didn't really answer my question."

"I-" Fenton sighed, and his shoulders sagged, the life almost seeming to deflate from him. "I know you're the last person I should even consider liking. I mean, you were a complete jerk to me freshmen year, and we never really hung until recently." He stared down at his shoes, like the dirty smudges on them were infinitely fascinating. "But, well, I remember that kid I knew in grade school." A smile tugged at his mouth. "The kid I always saw in the library with the wild blond hair and those dorky glasses. I should have remembered from back then that you're not the jerk I thought you were."

Dash laughed as the memory surfaced. "You actually remember that?"

Fenton rolled his eyes. "Yeah," he said like it should be obvious. "But then you switched schools and we didn't see each other again until high school. Why did you switch schools anyway?"

Dash scratched his head at the puzzled expression on Fenton's face. "Back then my dad was all into the idea of me becoming some big football star. He put me into a school that focused a lot more on athletics than academics. I was angry with him for that for a really long time, and it was always a big source of the rift between us. Then high school came, and my anger at everything kind of spilled over into bullying. I didn't _hate_ playing football, and being a star player had its perks, but I never wanted to switch schools, and I hated how my dad was living that dream through me. It wasn't until sophomore year that we patched things up, and he gave me the choice to quit if I wanted to. I kept playing because it was fun and I had great friends like Kwan. But," he shrugged and smirked a little, "now that you bring it up, I remember that first day you came skipping into the library and sat down next to me with that book on astronauts. You tried to act all cool and smart."

Fenton buried his head in hands, but it didn't hide the dark blush covering almost all of his face. "I was hoping you forgot all about that!"

His heart quickened as Dash chewed on his lip. Finally he nerved himself to speak again. "I could never forget how cute you were back then." He stepped in close to Fenton, leaning his head toward the other man. "Or how cute you still are." When Fenton's head snapped up with a look of shock and disbelief, Dash seized the opportunity to steal a kiss. It was short and sweet, a quick and simple meeting of lips. When the jock pulled away, Fenton could only blink. "I was accepted to a college in Wisconsin," Dash said with a small smirk as he leaned back to stand up straight again like nothing happened.

Fenton stood there with his mouth hanging slightly open before he managed to snap out of his daze. "You just kissed me!"

"Nothing gets passed those keen observation skills of yours." Dash couldn't seem to wipe the smirk from his face, though at this point it might be closer to a real smile. "And in case it hasn't sunk into that thick skull of yours yet, I'm planning to go to Wisconsin to be near you."

"You like me? The more than friends kind of like?" Fenton continued to gawk at him.

"You can't possibly be that dense, Fenton." Dash shook his head, but the fact amused him more than anything else. He took hold of Fenton's head and made sure the man was staring him in the eye. "I like you. A lot. It might even be love." He grinned as he watched the darkening color of Fenton's cheeks. "I've been fighting this losing battle for the past three years. I tried to ignore this attraction to you, pretend it was just some kind of phase, but I was just lying to myself. I. Like. You. Fenton." A honk interrupted his confession, and Dash sighed. "I guess that Vlad guy is getting impatient with this long goodbye."

Fenton let out a frustrated shout. "Why do you have to wait until now to tell me all this? Right when I'm leaving!" With a sigh, he pressed his forehead into Dash's chest. "We could have had three years together if one of us had just said something sooner."

Dash laughed, a stuttering whisper of a laugh as his heart fluttered. "All this time, you liked me too?" Fenton nodded against his chest. "We're such idiots." He lifted Fenton's head, and his heart hurt. Three years wasted because he was too cowardly to say anything to this man! "But I'll graduate soon. Then I'll be living up in Wisconsin for college." His head bowed, and he pressed his lips to Fenton's lips for a second time. Fenton responded this time, no longer stunned by the new revelation of their shared feelings. His arms wrapped around the jock's neck, drawing him closer and savoring this kiss. "I'll be there as soon as possible."

"I'll see you then," Fenton mumbled, staring sadly into Dash's eyes. Then he leaned up, pressing against Dash as he whispered into the jock's ear, "It might be love for me too." He turned and jogged for the waiting car, disappearing into the passenger's seat with only a quick wave, a bright smile, and a blush upon his cheeks.

Dash stared stunned as the car drove away. _Two months_ , he thought, smile slipping onto his face. _Only two months until graduation, then I can move to Wisconsin_. When the car disappeared from his sight, Dash entered his house. He returned to his seat at the kitchen and rested his chin in his hand as the goofy smile remained on his face.

Kwan lifted his gaze. "You sly dog," he said, grinning when he caught that look. "You totally just kissed Fenton!"

"No, I didn't!" Dash denied it way too quickly, making Kwan's grin widened. "Shut up!" He kicked at his friend under the table, and Kwan broke into laughter. "Just get back to work," he muttered while his cheeks burned hotly. He ducked his head, pretending to be immediately engrossed in his math homework. Kwan, no doubt still grinning like a madman, hummed as he returned to his own homework. Slowly, his smile returned as he replayed the kisses in his mind and recalled the feel of Fenton's lips against his own. Two months was going to feel like a lifetime.


	21. Epilogue

Danny chewed on his pencil as he read over the page in the book floating before him. The two months that passed since he left Amity Park to live with Vlad in Wisconsin seemed like forever at times. It was lonely with only him and Vlad filling up the huge castle. He could almost understand why Vlad seemed to have this desire to spoil him rotten. It had nothing to do with the obsession with Danny's mother that he carried with him for twenty long years after the Proto Portal accident. Danny was fairly certain it didn't have anything to do with Vlad's desire to make Danny see him as a father, though he still caught the older half ghost slipping up and calling him son at times, so maybe there was a little of that. But spending all this time with the man, Danny saw Vlad's loneliness. Twenty-four years passed since Vlad got his ghost powers. He was rich and ran several successful companies. But what was billions of dollars and a huge castle when he was sad and alone all his life? Danny felt a little bad for the way he treated the other half ghost when Vlad was trying so desperately to fill a hole in his life. Vlad didn't go about it the best way. But could Danny blame him for wanting someone to care about him?

His days in Wisconsin were filled mostly with training his ghost powers. Danny never imagined the huge relief that would come with being able to use his powers freely without constant fear of discovery in his own "home." It was still hard to think of the castle as home, but he greatly enjoyed being able to float about the castle and walk through walls. It gave him this weird sense of what it might be like to live in the Ghost Zone. He shook his head at that thought. Two months didn't give him full control over his powers, but Vlad said his progress was coming along well.

Outside training, Danny spent many hours working on his studies. No fun was to be had in the house of Vlad until all his studying was done. It was weird that he didn't actually mind the strict rule. He wished he was still studying with Dash and Kwan and the other football jocks. Studying with them was fun, and he got far more done under their guidance than he ever did trying to study with Sam and Tucker. Without the constant threat of ghost attacks hanging over his head, Danny was able to focus more fully on his studies, and he was surprised that he actually enjoyed it. Although, he didn't think he would ever like math. He always pestered Vlad when he got stuck on problems. The older half ghost shocked him by never getting annoyed with his request for help. Danny wondered if Vlad secretly enjoyed helping him with his studies. It was too late for him to get accepted into any colleges, but Vlad assured him that he would be able to get accepted somewhere next year. It was more surprising when Vlad told him he shouldn't feel ashamed for being a year behind in college compared to his friends. According to Vlad, several young teenagers fresh from high school decided to take a year off before attending college. Unlike them, however, Danny wasn't going to be skipping around the world traveling or goofing off. He would be stuck making up lost credits from high school and achieving a decent grade point average so that he could get accepted to a college.

He received e-mails and phone calls from his father once a week to check up on him. Despite how much his father pestered him for details, Danny only told him that he was doing fine and getting a lot work done thanks to the ever watchful eye of Vlad. He heard from Tucker almost every day, which made some of the loneliness go away. It was three weeks later after he left that he finally told Tucker all about his feelings for Dash and that Dash actually returned those feelings. He received an e-mail immediately that was filled with a string of random letters and symbols that Danny wasn't sure how to make sense of or respond to. It made him a little worried. But four days later, he got another e-mail in which Tucker said, "I'm happy for you" and apologized for his initial freak out. Danny smiled at that. He never expected the news to be taken with a simple smile and a "good for you." He almost wondered why the blowout wasn't much bigger. In another two days, Tucker told him that Sam ranted like a crazy person ever since that one night that Danny hung up on her phone call. After accusing him of having ulterior motives for wanting to hang out with Dash, Sam had it in her head that Danny was harboring unhealthy feelings for the jock. Tucker thought it was hilarious until Danny's confession, but he assured Danny that they were still the bestest best friends in the world and his sexuality, or choice of boyfriends, wasn't going to change that.

Danny didn't receive any word from Sam. He only heard about how she was doing from Tucker, who said he was actually avoiding her whenever possible. She was still furious at Danny for leaving, and apparently her suspicions of his feelings for Dash only added to her anger. Tucker promised he was never going to tell Sam the truth about Danny and Dash, even though Danny didn't ask him to keep it secret. But he couldn't help imagining Sam blowing up if she knew.

Every time he received a message from Dash, Danny couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He knew he looked ridiculous whenever he read Dash's e-mails. Vlad made a point of telling him so, which only earned a childish tongue sticking out from Danny. He couldn't really help it. It still all felt like a dream that Dash liked him. But as happy as he was hearing all the news from Dash, it made Danny feel all the more lonely. He wished he was still back in Amity Park so that he could see Dash every day. Two months was too long!

Even though he seemed to have this need to spoil Danny, Vlad refused to give him everything for free. It wasn't enough for the older half ghost to train him and ensure a good education for him. Vlad wanted to instill a good work ethic into Danny as well. He got Danny an internship at his company located in Wisconsin. Danny didn't get paid for his work at the company, but Vlad looked at the work he accomplished over the week and gave him an allowance that he felt was equal to Danny's performance. It was like doing chores for his parents, except this way, Danny got actual job experience. The people he worked with were actually pretty great guys and promised to rave about him if he ever wanted to use them for references on job applications. Danny scrubbed at his face. He still wasn't sure what he was going to do with his life. Right now, it was all about work, training, and studying. His mind didn't even have much time to think about what kind of job he wanted. Vlad promised there would always be a position available at his company if Danny ever needed it. That fact made Danny happy, but he didn't want to be forever relying on Vlad's help. Eventually, he needed to get out and make his own way in life.

"Danny."

The book snapped shut in front of his face, and Danny only realized then that he spaced out and probably was staring at it for at least the last ten minutes. He looked up and blinked at his sister standing in front of him. Jazz got out of college a week ago and arrived at Vlad's castle four days later. After all apologies were made, mostly on his part for being such a jerk to her when she was only trying to look after him, they spent a lot of time catching up with each other. Jazz wasn't even the least bit surprised that Danny was gay - bisexual, he insisted - and tried to ramble off all the evidence she observed over the years until Danny told her it was completely unnecessary for her to prove the point. "Hey!" he protested with a frown. "You made me lose my place." He stretched in midair before touching down on the floor of his bedroom.

"You didn't even shower after you finished your training?" Jazz held the book out of reach when Danny tried to grab for it. Her mouth turned downward as her nose wrinkled.

Danny rolled his eyes, getting the picture. He smelled. He was still a bit sweaty from the workout. "I was going to shower after I finished up this last bit of homework," he assured her and snatched the book back from her. "I was just relaxing for a bit." Sometimes, the workouts that Vlad put him through could be exhausting, and he wanted to collapse and sleep for a week afterward.

"Hurry up and get to it!" Jazz ordered, pointing a finger toward the attached bathroom.

"Okay, bossy pants," Danny replied, but he said it in a teasing manner. He was trying not to be mean to his sister like before, but she still tried to mother him a lot and sometimes it came out as a bit bossy.

"I just don't want you coming to dinner smelling like a dirty gym sock."

After Jazz left his room, Danny placed the book back on his desk before he entered his bathroom. He lifted his arm and took a whiff. His face wrinkled, and he had to admit that Jazz almost hit the nail on the head with her description of his body odor. He hopped into the shower, and after a thorough scrubbing all over, he thought he was clean enough to be accepted at the dinner table. The first few days when he arrived at the castle, Vlad would give him a sour look and order him to clean up if Danny came to the table without showering after a training session. He was glad Vlad didn't try to force him to change his style of clothing too, but Vlad was a stickler when it came to certain rules. Showing up at the dinner table smelly and sweaty was not to be accepted. He grabbed some clean clothes from his closet and dressed in a hurry as his stomach growled. Until Jazz broke up his thoughts, Danny didn't realize how hungry he was.

"Okay, okay. I'm not a filthy slob anymore," Danny announced when he entered the dining room. Vlad frowned at his poor manners, but that only made Danny grin. It was his little way to remind Vlad that he wasn't some perfect little clone manufactured in a laboratory. It was unnecessary, and he knew it, but he always had that lingering thought that Vlad still thought he could mold Danny into exactly what he wanted out of a "son."

"Well, that's good to hear."

The voice made him jump. Danny spun to the left, his eyes growing wide as he stared at the familiar blond man. He could practically feel his sister's beaming smile at his back. "Dash!" He resisted the urge to go running into the man's arms. Two months passed since they last saw each other, and he didn't want to appear overeager at the man's presence. But it was Dash, and he was here! Danny simply wanted to throw his arms around the man and hold on tight and never let him go again. He felt like a pathetic lovesick puppy, but it was much too long since they last saw each other. He thought he saw a nervous fidget from Dash and thought perhaps the man was thinking the same.

Dash reached up, his fingers threading through black locks. He leaned in, and Danny's heart fluttered, thinking they were about to kiss in front of Vlad and Jazz. But Dash stopped and stared deep into his eyes. "You're not wearing contacts?" He sounded confused, his fingers still buried in Danny's hair.

His mind didn't process the question at first. Then it hit him, and he laughed. "Yeah, Vlad did all this crazy research and testing, but there was no way to reverse what that whole merging did to me appearance wise," he explained. His cheeks warmed as Dash remained standing close, so very close. "It took about three and half weeks for me to master, but I can alter my appearance a little to mask the white hairs and weird eyes." He grinned proudly at the achievement. That was the moment Dash chose to finally close the distance and kiss Danny again for the first time in two months.

"You lovebirds have plenty of time to play catch up," Vlad said flatly, making the two men jump apart. "But dinner is getting cold."

Danny fought the flush creeping up his cheeks. "I guess we shouldn't make him wait," he mumbled to Dash. Taking the jock's hand, he pulled Dash toward the long dining table where they sat together. Jazz smiled happily at them, and Danny hoped she and Vlad didn't feel it was necessary to embarrass him into an early grave.

 

Danny kicked the door shut behind him as he entered the studio apartment. He shrugged out of his coat, feeling the desire to let it fall to the floor and ignore it. But he opened the closet next to the front door and looped the collar over a free hook bolted at the back of the closet.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," he said as he tugged off his shoes. He was in a habit of kicking them off immediately after entering the apartment. A whole day of standing on his feet made him want to fling the darn things out the window and want to run around barefoot for the rest of his life. He tossed his shoes into the closet without much of a second thought. "I tried to sneak off without getting seen, but Mrs. Walton _insisted_ that I join them all for a drink to celebrate her thirtieth birthday. And old man Barker," he grinned, imagining the man shaking a fist in the air with an angry shout that he wasn't that old, "wanted to celebrate his daughter getting in to Harvard. I ducked out of there as soon as I could."

His rambling halted in his throat as he stepped into the darkened room at the end of the front hall of their apartment. He blinked several times then swept his eyes about the room, taking it all in. The lights were out, but set up all around the room were dozens of candles, giving the wide space a soft warm glow. His stomach growled at the smell of steak and a raspberry sauce and some kind of sautéed vegetable medley. It wasn't unusual for Dash to cook dinner when he got home first. Danny would probably be the one cooking dinner the next night. But the romantic setting with the mood lighting and the two candles set upon the table and rose petals scattered about, adding a floral smell to the aroma of the waiting dinner wasn't the norm for them. They celebrated special occasions, of course, but Danny's mind blanked on why today deserved this overly romantic treatment.

"Oh god," Danny mumbled, turning his gaze to Dash, who sat at the table waiting for him. "What did I forget?" A horrible feeling settled inside him. He knew Dash wouldn't be angry with him forgetting something. Annoyed, maybe. Upset, sure. But furiously angry? Not likely. They had busy lives, and sometimes one of them would forget a special day, but it was never on purpose. "It's not the anniversary of our first date. That's not for another two months!" He felt panicky. What could he possibly be forgetting?

Dash laughed, probably amused at the man getting worried over nothing. "No, not that," he agreed. "It's been ten years-"

"No, let me think!" Danny insisted as he took the seat opposite Dash at the table. He chewed on his lip, thinking hard about what took place ten years ago. His growling stomach was not helping the thought process!

"You _can_ start eating."

Danny scowled at him for Dash's clear amusement at his struggle to think of what today meant to them. But he was hungry and couldn't resist the tempting meal in front of him. He cut off a slice of the steak, and his mouth watered the moment the bite of steak touched his tongue. It was sinfully delicious! He thought as he chewed the mouthful. "Ten years," he mumbled after he swallowed. When it came to him, his eyes bugged out and he gaped at Dash. "Why exactly are we celebrating ten years since I left Amity Park? Which also happens to be the last time Sam ever spoke to me." His eyes narrowed at Dash as he slammed down his fork. He was still bitter over Sam's attitude about the whole thing. How could she not see that it was best for him to leave Amity Park?

Dash shook his head, frowning. "That's not what we're celebrating." He lifted his gaze as he reached across the table to place his hand over Danny's hand. "We're celebrating ten years since we admitted we might be in love." That announcement brought a dark blush to Danny's cheeks that not even the low light of the candles could hide. "And ten years since we shared our first kiss."

"You're the sappiest bastard in the world," Danny mumbled, even though the fact that Dash remembered made his insides twist happily. Leave it to the big, bad jock to be the more romantic one. Over their years living together, Dash only proved what a hopeless romantic he was by surprising Danny with little gifts for no reason. He would pop up at Danny's job with a single rose just to let him know that he was thinking of him. Sometimes, it made Danny want to die from embarrassment, but he loved it regardless. It always made his heart skip, and even when they fought, Dash found some cheesy way to make it up to him. Even right now, with Dash grinning at him, Danny couldn't help but lean across the table and kiss him.

"And you love it," Dash said, smirking as Danny sat down again.

With a roll of his eyes, Danny eagerly returned to his dinner. Ten years seemed to fly by for him. After college, Dash ended up getting a job as a mechanical engineer doing all kinds of crazy projects that Danny listened to him talk about but didn't fully understand all the details to. Vlad would call him on occasion, wanting his help on a project. While Danny was still living in the older half ghost's castle, Dash got pretty chummy with Vlad, shockingly. Vlad introduced Dash to ecto based weaponry, and having done plenty of mechanical work beforehand, Dash adapted to the new field easily. It wasn't something he specialized in, but Dash had pretty good knowledge on how it all worked. Danny suspected Vlad used it as some sort of professional excuse to check up on them, even though he had a standing invitation to visit them whenever he liked.

While Dash went through college with a definite direction in mind, Danny fumbled around his first few years, switching what he wanted to major in several times before figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. It still seemed a little crazy to him, and he even spoke endlessly with Lancer, of all people, for advice. He became a teacher. He taught first graders and was forever thankful that Lancer encouraged him to follow this path. He couldn't imagine a life where he didn't walk into that classroom and spend all day with a room full of children who sometimes seemed like too much of a handful for him. They loved his story time with his tales of ghosts that made them gasp with fright, but he kept them not too scary so none of the children would go home with nightmares.

He appeared as Danny Phantom from time to time, but the world didn't need him all that much. He still hated to admit that Vlad was right on that point. When he wasn't chasing down every single ghost that popped up, his life was a lot less chaotic. Most of the ghosts that he met simply wanted to be left alone. He didn't bother them all that much unless they were terrorizing humans too much or destroying the town. He was on better terms with some of his old enemies, who stopped seeing him as a giant target to beat when he no longer chased them around. He was finally happy with his life.

Then he frowned at Dash, who didn't miss it. That worried look entered his dark blue eyes. "What's wrong now?" Dash asked on the wary side, not sure the answer would be something he liked.

Danny shook his head, and a breathy laugh escaped him. "It's crazy, but I almost wish that ghost was still around. I never even learned his name."

An incredulous look had Dash's mouth gaping open. "You do remember that he caused that whole merging thing, right?" His hand tightened visibly around the fork he held half way to his mouth. "You do remember how that merging affected you? You do remember that Vlad said there was no guarantee that you would have survived if the transformation completed itself or that if you did survive, you would have no control over yourself?" Fury flashed in his eyes.

"Yes, I remember all that." Danny sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "What I meant was, that I kind of wish I could thank him." He held up a hand to stop Dash before he could start an angry tirade. "I remember everything that happened. He thought he was turning me into some monster with that attack. I doubt he realized the outcome he would be giving me by attacking me." A fond smile spread onto his face as he stared across the table at Dash. "If he hadn't hit me with that attack, if I hadn't landed in your backyard that night, we might not be here together right now. We might not have had these past ten years. Even with the bad times we've had, I wouldn't want to exchange what I have for the world. And that ghost was part of what made all this possible."

"Now who's being the sappiest bastard?" Dash quirked a smirk at him.

"Oh, shut up!" Danny flushed darkly as he pretended to become entirely too interested in the few carrots left on his plate.

"There is one more thing."

Danny lifted his gaze as Dash set a small black box on the table between them. His gaze wouldn't leave the box for the longest time. Then he snapped his eyes up to meet Dash's eyes. The man merely stared back expectantly with a hint of shyness. He almost looked like he was ready to claim it a joke and laugh off any awkwardness between them. Danny picked up the box and slowly lifted the lid. What lay squished between the folds of soft velvet wasn't anything fancy. It was a simple band of gold, no flourish or sparkling jewels. Just a band, but the meaning of it spoke volumes.

"You really-" Danny snapped his gaze back to Dash. His voice trembled, and his eyes shone with hope.

"I know we can't legally get married. No big fancy wedding," Dash said, somewhat embarrassed as he leaned forward on the table. "But I love you, and I want to be yours." He plucked the gold band out of the still opened box then took Danny's hand in his hand. "If you'll have me?" The ring hovered before Danny's ring finger, waiting for an answer.

Danny stared into Dash's hopeful eyes. His mouth worked up and down a few times, no sound able to emerge in his shock. They dated each other for the last ten years. They moved into their studio apartment six years ago. They loved each other despite the occasional clashes. Yet it still made him speechless to hear Dash ask him that. "Of course I will!" Danny finally managed to say as a wide smile refused to leave his face. The ring slipped onto his finger and felt like it had been there all his life. Danny leaned across the table until he could rest his forehead against Dash's. "I love you too, you sappy idiot." Then he tilted his head and pressed his lips to Dash's, who happily returned the kiss.


End file.
